Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen to loan Weston McKennie but Juventus would prefer to sell him permanently instead.
According to Calcio Mercato, Tottenham Hotspur have their eye on signing Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie on loan this summer.
The 22-year-old made a name for himself in Europe at Schalke and moved to Turin in 2020 on loan before making the move permanent this year. He has made 46 games in all competitions for the Serie A giants, scoring six goals and assisting three more.
McKennie is a central midfielder who can fulfil several roles in midfield. Despite being amongst the best young players in Serie A last season, Juventus appear to be ready to part ways with the player this summer and monetize his talents.
Tottenham’s new Managing Director of Football, Fabio Paratici, is well aware of the youngster’s exploits from his time at the Allianz Stadium. He is on McKennie’s heels and is keen to take him to North London. Spurs, however, prefer to take the player on loan rather than purchase him outright. Juventus do not appear too keen on the proposition and would choose to sell McKennie permanently.
The 22-year-old has shown he has what it takes to succeed in Europe. He stood out in a Juventus side that spectacularly underperformed last season. While Juventus were impressed enough to make the deal permanent, returning manager Massimiliano Allegri is open to selling the youngster.
McKennie enjoyed a full pre-season with the club and is keen to stay put in Turin. While that could certainly happen, he may have to settle for a supporting role that will eat into his chances of playing regularly.
A move to Tottenham could be a shrewd acquisition for the English giants. The Nuno Espirito Santo era has kicked off with two wins, and the Londoners have the initiative to push on. Adding the right players in the remaining time in this window could give them the shot in the arm needed to keep the run going.
The futures of Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks, and Tanguy Ndombele are all up in the air at the moment. Spurs cannot afford to let the trio leave without bringing in adequate replacements. In McKennie they would be getting a player who not only has a point to prove but has the best years of his career ahead of him.
Solid defensively, he could form a dominant midfield partnership with Emile Pierre-Hojbjerg to serve the club for years to come. With Olivier Skipp also available, Santo will have three interesting players to call upon in the middle of the park.
This solid foundation in midfield could hand Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli, among others, more freedom to attack. It could be what is needed to take the team to the next level. Whether selling Ndombele or Sissoko would pave the way for Spurs to land McKennie permanently remains to be seen. It could be an opportunity they will do well to exploit.
