In a recent report, The Sun claimed that Aston Villa are weighing up a move for Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie. It has been mentioned that the Villans could face competition in the form of West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to recruit the United States international during the January transfer window.
McKennie’s Reserved Role In Italian Football So Far
McKennie has been a sporadic presence in Juve’s first XI which has hampered his progress in Italian football this season. The 23-year-old has made seven appearances for the Italian giants but is still waiting to open his goal-scoring account for this campaign.
The Texas-born sensation has struggled to find consistency with his performances at the centre of the park as he is averaging 0.6 tackles, 0.4 interceptions, 0.6 clearances and 1.4 shots per 90 minutes in Serie A. He also needs to improve his accuracy when distributing possession from midfield, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 75.8% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
McKennie is under contract at the Allianz Stadium until the summer of 2025, so the Villans will have to make a sizable offer if they are to stand a chance of landing him when the transfer window commences at the start of next year.
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Is McKennie The Right Choice For Aston Villa?
McKennie is a moderately-paced midfielder who can make some energetic runs with the ball in the opponent’s half when he is playing regularly and with confidence on the field. He has a high work rate and can often use his strength to overpower the opposition at the centre of the park.
The 25-time United States international is quite aggressive with his tackles but needs to figure out a way to add some end-product to his game if he wants to be a success story at Villa Park in the coming seasons. At 23, McKennie is about to enter the peak years of his playing career soon, so he needs to ensure regular first-team opportunities if he intends to prove his worth at the highest level.
With all things considered, McKennie will be a decent choice for Aston Villa as he will offer some serious competition for John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Morgan Sanson and Marvelous Nakamba at Villa Park over the next few years.
