Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur are exploring the possibility of signing midfielder Weston McKennie from Juventus.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has asked the board to sign Weston McKennie from Juventus in the upcoming transfer window. Spurs were linked with the midfielder a few months ago but the rumours died down eventually before this latest development came along.
The United States international initially joined the Old Lady on a loan deal from Schalke in 2020. The move was made permanent a year later for a fee of €20.5 million. He didn’t take long to settle in at Juventus, making 46 appearances for them in his debut season under Andrea Pirlo.
The former Italy defender was replaced by Massimiliano Allegri, who returned to try and reclaim the Serie A title. Even with a change in manager, McKennie continued to be one of the first names on the teamsheet. He made 28 appearances for them this season, scoring four goals before a metatarsal fracture in February sidelined him for the rest of the season.
McKennie’s injury hasn’t deterred Tottenham Hotspur, who are monitoring his situation. The aforementioned report states that Spurs director Fabio Paratici is working on the deal to sign the USMNT midfielder. It was Paratici who signed McKennie at Juventus and he could play a crucial role in bringing him to north London.
Antonio Conte is believed to be fairly impressed by the central midfielder and has requested to get the player on board this summer. McKennie will still have three years remaining on his Juventus contract after the ongoing season, so it will not be easy to price him away.
The Gazzetta report also states that McKennie is a part of Allegri’s plans going forward and the recent injury setback hasn’t changed anything. On the other hand, Spurs are eager to provide Conte with reinforcements this summer so the former Premier League-winning manager can help them climb up the Premier League table.
The Italian tactician currently has Oliver Skipp, Harry Winks, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bentancur as his central midfield options. The latter was signed from Juventus in a €19 million deal just this winter, along with Dejan Kulusevski, who arrived on loan, although Spurs are pushing to make his transfer permanent.
With Winks’ future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in doubt, amid interest from Crystal Palace and Skipp’s injury problems, a player like McKennie can be a handy addition. The USMNT star would also bring something different to the table with his ability to drive forward with the ball and his work ethic. Whether Tottenham press ahead with their pursuit of the 23-year-old remains to be seen.
