In a recent report, Calciomercato offered an update on the future of Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie amid recent interest from Aston Villa. It is understood that the Turin giants are preparing to make the American talent available for a transfer in January, but the Villans could face competition from Tottenham Hotspur in pursuit of him.
McKennie’s Recent Form At The Allianz Stadium
McKennie experienced a solid campaign at Turin as he produced a run of eye-catching performances for Juve in Italian football. The Texas-born midfielder participated in 46 matches for the Italian outfit last season, finding the back of the net on six occasions and providing three assists across all fronts.
The 23-year-old made himself useful by averaging 1.0 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 0.7 clearances, 0.9 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game in the previous Serie A campaign. He even distributed the ball with conviction after completing 85.4% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
McKennie proved himself to be a decent squad player at the Allianz Stadium last season. However, the player should prioritize sealing a move to another club in search of more game time during the winter transfer window.
Should The Villans Snap McKennie Up In January?
McKennie can use his quickness to complete some promising dribbles with the ball in the opponent’s half. He has got a good leap that allows him to win some 50-50 aerial duels and is a hard-working central midfielder who can also fill in as a wide player on the right flank if required.
The American sensation also doesn’t mind getting stuck in with a few crunching tackles so that he can make life difficult for the opposition in midfield. Plus, he is a decent passer of the ball that would make him a good fit for Dean Smith’s style of play at the West Midlands club.
We can expect McKennie to add some much-needed depth to Dean Smith’s match-day squad. The United States international could keep the likes of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Morgan Sanson and Marvelous Nakamba in the race to earn a regular starting place at Villa Park in the coming seasons.
At 23, McKennie is in for a bright future at the highest level as long as he can ensure regular first-team starts over the next few years. Aston Villa have the luxury to offer him a chance to prove his worth and gain regular game time in English football which could open the door for them to seal a move for the talented midfield ace in January. Hence, Smith would be wise to engineer a move to snap McKennie up when the transfer window reopens at the start of next year.
