Jonathan David at centre of Arsenal vs Newcastle transfer battle

Jonathan David's future at French outfit Lille is the subject of further speculation amid interest from two sides with very different prospects in the Premier League.

The New York-born forward has long been touted with a switch to the Premier League after lighting up Ligue 1 with his stellar goalscoring form.

At just 22 years of age, David has already caught the eye of both Arsenal and Newcastle United and both of the English sides are rumoured to be willing to do battle to secure his signature.

Given his age, David would represent a signing that can not only meet the respective demands of either club right now, but also have the time and potential to grow into an even bigger talent in the years to come.

Things in France have taken a steep decline from Lille's perspective, with David's side falling some way short of retaining their Ligue 1 crown and currently languish as low as 11th after 25 games played.

As a result, David's individual output has shown signs of slowing down as well, yet his current return of 12 league goals would still make him the top scorer at both Arsenal and Newcastle.

The Gunners already have previous when it comes to doing business with Lille following the recent signings of both Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Magalhaes.

Newcastle are thought to be in constant communication with the player's representatives with a view to a summer switch.

Mikel Arteta's decision to opt against signing a new striker in the wake of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure for Barcelona raised eyebrows.

The Gunners boss committed to trying to achieve Champions League qualification this season without any kind of attacking reinforcements.

What happens between now and May is likely to impact Arsenal's chances of