Roma market, a Juventus player may arrive in January
Looking also at home to Juventus, a Roma side is already beginning to plan for the future, especially in the nerve department, where new grafts are being sought. Among the profiles being evaluated is that of Weston McKennie, an American midfielder whose contract with Juventus is expiring. He could leave Turin in January for an affordable fee. His arrival would lead to the departure on loan of Niccolò Pisilli: despite Gasperini’s publicly expressed confidence, a temporary transfer to find continuity is looming.
Weston McKennie in recent years has built a solid career in Europe. After starts in the youth ranks of Phönix Otterbach and FC Dallas, he turned down a renewal with the Texas club in 2016 to move to Schalke 04 in Germany. In just one year he went from youth to the first team, making his Bundesliga debut on May 20, 2017 against Ingolstadt. The following season he became a regular starter, making 25 appearances, including 22 in the league. In 2018 he also made his Champions League debut against Porto and scored his first professional goals: one in Europe against Lokomotiv Moscow and one in the Bundesliga against Fortuna Düsseldorf. He finished that season with 33 appearances and two goals. Even in the following year, under David Wagner, he remained a staple at Schalke, collecting another 33 appearances and three goals.
In 2020, Juventus took him on loan for 4.5 million euros, making him the first U.S. player in the club’s history. He made his debut in Serie A against Sampdoria and immediately scored important goals: the first in the derby with Torino, then a goal-scoring effort in the Champions League against Barcelona. Under Pirlo, he immediately found space, also scoring against Milan and becoming the top American scorer in Italian league history with 4 goals. In March 2021, Juventus bought him back for 18.5 million. He ended his first season with two trophies: Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup.
In January 2022, he scored again in the Super Cup against Inter Milan, but a serious injury in the Champions League against Villarreal ended his season early. In January 2023 he went on loan to Leeds United, but his Premier League experience was disappointing: underperformance and several criticisms. After the club’s relegation, he returned to Juventus.
In summer 2023 he seemed out of the project, but he used the preseason to convince the environment. Brought back into the squad and deployed often as an outfielder, he surprised in effectiveness and performance. On September 16, in the win against Lazio, he reached 100 appearances in the Bianconeri jersey.
