Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly determined to sign Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie and are planning to launch a January bid for the USMNT star.
According to Transfer Market Web, Tottenham Hotspur have a strong interest in Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie and are weighing up a bid to land the USMNT international in the January transfer window.
The 23-year-old signed for Juventus from then Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04 back in 2020 in a deal worth up to €31.5 million. His time with the Turin giants has been a roller coaster so far; while his potential and box-to-box ability were never in doubt, there was some frustration regarding his consistency.
To date, McKennie has contributed with eight goals and three assists from 59 appearances for the Serie A giants across all competitions. He was very bright in an underperforming Juventus side under Andrea Pirlo, but his form has tailed off since then, having initially struggled to adapt to Massimiliano Allegri’s pragmatic 4-4-2 system.
However, the narrative has changed in recent weeks, with the young American forcing his way into Allegri’s plans on the back of several impressive displays in the middle of the park, while his goal-scoring aptitude has offered the Bianconeri a different dimension on counter-attacks.
Despite the recent upturn in his form, Juventus may still consider selling McKennie to back Allegri in the upcoming transfer market amidst their tense financial situation. His gradual development has garnered interest from many clubs across Europe, with Bayern Munich, West Ham United and Burnley all inquiring about the player, but Tottenham are understood to be the front-runners in McKennie’s pursuit.
With sporting director Fabio Paratici and manager Antonio Conte in charge of recruitment operations at Spurs, they will likely raid Serie A or their previous clubs for talents. Conte is keen to add a dynamic midfielder to his ranks, and Weston McKennie is one of the names highly rated by the Tottenham boss.
Conte has deployed his preferred 3-4-3 formation in his first two games, with his current options for the midfield double pivot being Pierre Emile Hojbjerg, Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele and Oliver Skipp. Winks might be moved on in upcoming windows while Ndombele is unreliable in the central midfield role, which means Tottenham have little quality cover for central midfield positions.
The Lilywhites have recently been linked with moves for Inter Milan’s Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Brozovic. Both are decent fits in their own regards, but McKennie presents Tottenham with a longer-term option. The youngster is incredibly versatile and can slot in a variety of different midfield roles. He has the defensive work rate and presses hard to suit Conte’s system, while his forward runs offer an extra body in the attack.
McKennie could be a shrewd addition to the north London club’s midfield roster, and in Conte, he would have a manager who can nurture his full potential — saying that he may need some time to adjust to the intensity and physicality of English football.
The 23-year-old is contracted at the Allianz Stadium until June 2025, which means the ball is very much in the Bianconeri’s court. It would be interesting to see if Tottenham can land McKennie, but considering the recent turnaround in his form, he might as well end up staying at Juventus beyond January.
Not a great inspirational signing.
Upgrade on Deli and Winks but not as exciting as LoCelso if his form picks up.
Sign him only if he’s cheap, but I think he won’t be nor his wages.
Agreed.
Feels like a real downgrade from Kessie, who we’re also constantly being linked with.