Atlético Madrid agrees loan deal for Jonathan David
Money MovesLate-window loan with a €25m buy option ends David's difficult year at Juventus
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Overview
Updated YesterdayJonathan David joined Juventus in July 2025 as a free-agent signing from Lille. A year later, he's leaving in a loan deal agreed in the final hours of the summer window. Atlético Madrid submitted a formal offer Monday; by Tuesday, the clubs had exchanged documentation.
Atlético needed another center-forward because Julián Álvarez's future is unsettled and Alexander Sørloth wants a starting role. Juventus wanted David's wages off its books but insisted on a replacement first. It secured Nick Woltemade from Newcastle United on a €5m loan.
Why it matters
David gets a second chance at a Champions League club while Juventus eats half his wages — the cost of a free-agent gamble gone wrong.
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People Involved
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Spanish club that solved its late-window striker search with a loan for David.
Italian club offloading its highest earner after one disappointing season.
English club sending Woltemade to Turin on a season-long loan.
Timeline
July 2025 September 2026
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Clubs exchange documentation; Woltemade secured
Today AgreementJuventus and Atlético exchange documentation; Juve lands Woltemade from Newcastle.
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Atlético submits formal loan offer
OfferAtlético submits formal loan offer with a €25m buy option; Romano says 'Here we go.'
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David approves Atlético move
NegotiationDavid approves a move to Atlético Madrid, clearing the way for talks.
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David finishes difficult first season
PerformanceDavid finishes his first Juventus season with 8 goals in 46 games.
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David signs for Juventus
TransferDavid joins Juventus on a free transfer from Lille.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
Álvaro Morata's loan to Atlético Madrid (2019)
Chelsea loaned Morata to Atlético in January 2019 with an option to buy after he struggled in the Premier League. He scored six goals in 15 La Liga games, and Atlético triggered the option that summer.
Morata became Atlético's main striker and later returned for a second spell in 2024.
The loan-with-option became Atlético's standard method for buying strikers.
This is the success case for the mechanism Atlético is using with David: a striker who struggled at a bigger club gets a reset in Madrid.
Gonzalo Higuaín's loan to Chelsea (2019)
Juventus loaned Higuaín to Chelsea in January 2019 with an option to buy, moving his high wages off the books. He scored five goals in 14 Premier League games, and Chelsea declined the option.
Higuaín returned to Juventus and was later sold to Inter Miami.
A reminder that loan-with-option deals fail when the player does not produce.
This is the failure case: a Juventus striker loaned to a new league who did not score enough to earn a permanent deal.
Romelu Lukaku's loan years (2022-2024)
Chelsea paid a club-record €113m to re-sign Lukaku in 2021, then loaned him to Inter Milan and Roma in consecutive seasons. His wages made a permanent sale difficult, so Chelsea covered part of his salary each time.
Lukaku played for three clubs in three seasons while Chelsea absorbed some of his wages.
Wage-sharing loans became the standard fix for a big contract gone wrong.
Juventus is doing the same with David: covering about half his salary so Atlético can take him without straining its wage structure.
