Weston McKennie has enjoyed a sensational return to Juventus this season and the American midfielder could reportedly be rewarded with a contract extension because of it.
Juventus is seeking to extend McKennie’s contract by two-to-three years, TuttoMercato reported Monday. McKennie’s current contract is set to run through the 2024-25 Serie A season, but Juventus is set to extend it to 2027 or 2028, according to the report.
McKennie spent the second half of last season on loan at then-English Premier League club Leeds United, watching as the Yorkshire club suffered relegation. The 25-year-old returned to Juventus in the summer and since has been sensational in Massimiliano Allegri’s squad.
McKennie returned to action on Sunday, registered two assists in a 2-2 home draw with Atalanta. It marked McKennie’s return to action since suffering a dislocated shoulder during February’s schedule.
He’s registered nine assists in 27 combined appearances this season, logging 2,232 minutes in Serie A and Coppa Italia play. In total, McKennie has scored 13 goals and registered 14 assists in 123 combined appearances for Juventus and overall has totaled 234 appearances in Europe.
McKennie has helped Juventus fight for a top-four spot to date in Serie A and still has plenty to offer over the final three months of the season. In addition, McKennie’s services could be request for U.S. men’s national team duty later this month.
Juventus, third in Serie A, next hosts Genoa on March 17.
The best part of McKennie’s game now is he pick his spots where he decides to own and influence the game. He was always great when play would get chaotic on set pieces, chasing second balls, or drilling someone. His maturation is more calculated and influential especially on the ball with great through balls, accurate crosses, and willingness to carry the ball with a dribble. The other intangibles are his hustle plays going box to box chasing down the ball and crashing the box to win headers. His energy and enthusiasm has to earn respect from his teammates and management. I dig his game!
I’ll just shake my head. There was a point at which Juve kept loaning McKennie out and trying to push him off the roster, and now this year they turned around and realized he was one of their top 2-3 players and they really can’t make do without him. Stuff is weird.
I haven’t watched Juve much at all this year beyond highlights…I mean, I love what McKennie’s doing and all but Serie A in general and Juve in particular are just not enjoyable to watch, to me. (I admire the tactics but lawdy are they ever deliberate and ponderous.) For those with more patience than me…what’s changed? Has his game picked up or does he finally just have a manager who knows how to use him?
Yes and yes! I watch almost every week. Wes has been a handful.
…
1. He is an ELITE athlete. My dude is a lab amongst corsos.
2. His tactical awareness has improved.
3. He is decisive with the ball and he is much more aggressively marking his opponent off the ball.
4. The system fits him. His play ranges from RCM > RWM > RAM. They seem to let him have the ball and drive at the back line or let him run hard to the far post (drawing defenders with him). Because of his aerial prowess he always gets a LCB “eye checking” him when he approaches the box. This opens more space for the tru 10 or inverted winger to navigate one less defender. The potential that he just “pops up” on our blindside makes him a menace. 10 strides from midfield and he’s in the box. Dudes in proper form.
I still think he has a level or two more in his game. As his brain develops that veteran acumen, his physicality will be an even greater threat with less effort and more situational awareness.
I’ll defer to Tx on the analysis. Allegri has always played Wes starting most of the time when fully fit. It was always management trying to move him because they paid a high price for him and several others right at the end of the Ronaldo era and they ran into a cash problem. They saw Wes as someone that could be sold to help their spreadsheet. Perhaps this extension will actually end up lowering his weekly wage bill and spread his money out over a longer period.
Which is ironic considering the league is full of cast off from other top leagues bought at a discount