Tottenham Hotspur have been reportedly handed a huge boost in their pursuit of midfielder Weston McKennie.
Spurs bounced back to winning ways after three consecutive defeats in the Premier League. They edged Aston Villa 2-1 at home before the international break, giving Nuno Espirito Santo a much-needed breather.
Despite coming under a lot of criticism in recent weeks, it seems Tottenham are planning for the future with Nuno Espirito Santo at the helm and are ready to back him in January. According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato, Juventus have decided to make Weston McKennie available for £25.4m in January, with Tottenham and West Ham set to battle it out for the midfielder’s signature.
Weston McKennie, 23, has made 53 appearances for the Turin giants since initially signing on loan from FC Schalke last summer. He has started four out of six Serie A games for Juventus under Max Allegri so far this season, whilst coming on as a substitute in the Champions League wins over Malmo and Chelsea respectively.
The USA international was one of the rare bright spots for i bianconeri last term, bagging five goals and two assists in 34 league appearances. However, Juventus are ready to sell McKennie in the next transfer window to help finance a move for AS Monaco starlet Aurelien Tchouameni.
Weston McKennie to Tottenham—Should the north Londoners make a move?
Despite Tottenham winning 2-1 against Aston Villa last weekend, there remain a few gaping holes in the squad Nuno should address. One of those is in the midfield, with none of Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg having performed consistently so far this season.
Oliver Skipp has done an admirable job in what could be his breakthrough season at Spurs. But with Moussa Sissoko joining newbies Watford in the summer and Harry Winks keen to leave the club on loan in January for regular game time after falling down the pecking order under Nuno, signing a midfielder has become a must for Tottenham.
In that regard, Spurs’ interest in Weston McKennie hits the right chords. McKennie is a versatile player who is capable of playing anywhere across the middle of the park, or out wide and as well as at central defence when required. The USA international is extremely composed on the ball, can pick out passes from deep in the final third, use his vision to create openings for his teammates and chip in with crucial goals.
The 23-year-old is a tenacious tackler, possesses the engine to work tirelessly off the ball and sweep things up at the back while operating in a deeper midfield role. Weston McKennie has the required qualities to succeed in the Premier League and could do well for a Spurs side crying out for dynamism and steel in midfield.
Thus, Tottenham must not hesitate to splash the cash to sign the American midfielder from Juventus during the winter transfer window.