Transfer News: Tottenham Hotspur scouted Juventus ace Weston McKennie amidst Aston Villa interest
According to Calciomercato (h/t The Mirror), Tottenham Hotspur have scouted Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie amidst interest from Aston Villa in the Premier League. He has been on our radar for quite some time as we look to ramp up our efforts to get his services.
Following the move from Schalke, McKennie has featured in 62 matches with eight goals and three assists in his tally. Even though he was a squad player under Andrea Pirlo, he did impress in his first season, which prompted Juve to activate the buy option in his contract.
The US international was one of the better players last season, even though the team endured a difficult campaign. Antonio Conte is highly appreciative of the player and the bite he brings to midfield. The Spurs boss would have had chances to see the midfielder up close during his time in Serie A at Inter Milan.
And according to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Mirror) Conte is reminded of Arturo Vidal when he thinks of the Bianconeri ace, which is not surprising in the slightest. The Italian suggested the club send scouts to assess the player when he faced off against Atalanta. However, he got injured in the game and subsequently got substituted in the second half.
Aston Villa are keen to acquire his signature and had also sent their scouts to watch the clash against La Dea. Previously, they faced rejection from the American, but that has not stopped them from pursuing him again.
Right choice?
The 23-year-old would not be the first American to move to the Premier League as his fellow countrymen have found success in England recently. A sum of around £30million would be needed to acquire his services, which appears reasonable for someone who has fared well after moving from Germany.
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The quality of our depth got exposed in the humiliating defeat against NS Mura in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Even though we had enough options to make heavy rotations, there is a gulf of difference between the main squad and the rest of the squad players.
Tanguy Ndombele and Dele Alli failed to make a mark and continued their slump. McKennie could be a reliable option to bolster the squad in such situations.
That is especially the case in the coming months when the entire squad would get tested by the cramped fixture list. We would need good options to cope with the congested matches, and the former Schalke man could be just the right option. But it remains to be seen if we can snap him in January or if we will have to wait for our man- if we do end up signing him at all.
