£34m twist emerges in Aston Villa pursuit of Leeds United loan flop Weston McKennie
Aston Villa have emerged as potential suitors for Juventus’ Weston McKennie, according to Tuttosport.
The outlet reported (9 July) that Unai Emery’s side faces competition from fellow Premier League side Brighton and may have to pay as much as £34million to secure his signature.
McKennie had a difficult loan spell at Leeds United last season which ended in relegation but has since earned interest from the likes of Borussia Dortmund [ESPN].
Midfield reinforcement
McKennie struggled last season under Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce at Leeds, but the whole team struggled through a leaky defence which saw them suffer heavy defeats.
The USMNT midfielder had been described as “out of his depth” by former Leeds star John Newsome [BBC Radio Leeds, via Goal.com], and with frequent middling and low-energy performances by the American, it is hard to disagree.
However, the environment at Leeds last season was not good, with frequent managerial changes and questions about the ownership of then-chairman Andrea Radrizzani. He was not in an ideal position to thrive, and perhaps an increasingly-improving Aston Villa side may be the platform he needs to redefine himself in the Premier League.
Villa have been active in the transfer window with Youri Tieleman’s free transfer being the only midfield upgrade so far. However, these players do operate in similar areas of the pitch, and off the back of his recent season, it is unlikely that Emery will trust home to be a regular starter should he sign.
That being said, the need for depth will inform a lot of Villa’s transfer strategy considering their European obligations next season, but McKennie would be unlikely to move to a side unless he was more-or-less guaranteed a starting place.
The reported £34million price tag would be a turn-off for Villa too, as the market will have players that are much better value for money.