Weston McKennie is loving the UEFA Champions League right now.
McKennie scored in his third-consecutive UCL appearance on Wednesday as Juventus defeated Benfica 2-0 in league phase play in Turin. The American midfielder now has five goals on the season in all competition, with three of those coming in his last five appearances overall.
After a goal-less first half, Luciano Spalletti’s squad took a 1-0 lead before the hour mark through Khephren Thuram-Ulien’s opening goal.
McKennie added his name to the scoresheet nine minutes later, doubling Juventus’ lead after a clever 1-2 with Canadian forward Jonathan David. The American midfielder laid off a pass for David at the top of the Benfica box, before David’s return pass allowed McKennie to slot home into the bottom-left corner.
It was a memorable finish for McKennie, who celebrated his 40th-career UCL appearance.
McKennie logged a full 90 minutes in the victory, helping the Bianconeri jump up to 15th place in the league phase standings. The Serie A squad guaranteed themselves at least a playoff berth and could jump into the top-eight with a victory on Matchday 8.
Juventus will next prepare for a crucial top-five league showdown with Napoli on Sunday.
Watching McKennie right now is must see TV. At my house we just say it’s time to watch McKennie TV. Everyone knows it’s the Juventus game.
That being said….McKennie’s form could and probably does have a lot to do with his contract situation. How many times, across all professional sports, do you see an athlete have a career year when playing for their next contract? Considering McKennie’s track record for losing focus unless he has been threatened with losing his spot in the team or being excluded from the team entirely (at Juventus and the USMNT), I’m really interested in how he performs NEXT season – where ever he is playing. Will he get lax, lose fitness and focus, etc?
In the meantime he is playing out of his mind! And I hope he is still looking for a home when the World Cup comes around. A motivated McKennie is something to behold!
Juventus doesn’t see fit to pay Weston McKennie $3.8 million from $3.2 million…..just a $600,000 increase (Jonathan David is making $11 million), yet he has the second most Champions League goals of amongst ALL Juventus midfielders in F@$&ing HISTORY, tied with Arturo Vidal.
Pavel Nedved (11 goals)
🥈 Weston McKennie (9 goals)
Arturo Vidal (9 goals)
Zinedine Zidane (5 goals)
Juve can kick rocks next season.
bizzy,
Weston has been great at Juve but comparing him to Nedved, Vidal and Zidane, as Juve players, is lame.
Weston’s career has been more a story of hard work and versatility within various team setups. And questions of motivation have dogged Weston all his career. Currently every single USMNT player with a shot is hyper motivated by the World Cup ( just look around) and Weston has the added incentive of his Juve contract.
The three you mentioned never seemed to need the kick in the ass Weston seems to always need. What do you think will happen next year after Juve gives him the big money and the World Cup has come and gone?
Nedvěd, Vidal, and Zidane at Juventus were defined by superior overall production, greater individual accolades (including a Ballon d’Or for Nedvěd), and significant team success, establishing them as club legends.
Weston has yet win Serie A for Juve. He’s a Cup guy.
Honors at Juventus
Weston:
Coppa Italia (2: 2020–21, 2023–24)
Supercoppa Italiana (1: 2020)
Vidal:
Serie A (4)
Coppa Italia (2)
Supercoppa Italiana (3)
Nedvěd:
Serie A (2)
Serie B (1)
Supercoppa Italiana (2: 2002, 2003)
Ballon d’Or (1: 2003)
Zidane:
Serie A (2: 1996–97, 1997–98)
UEFA Super Cup (1: 1996)
Intercontinental Cup (1: 1996)
Supercoppa Italiana (1: 1997)
UEFA Intertoto Cup (1: 1999)
Ballon d’Or (1: 1998)
Goal Contributions: Nedvěd, Vidal, and Zidane were all significantly more productive in terms of goals and assists per game during their time at Juventus.
Champions League Goals: Weston has a notable shared record with Vidal as the second-highest scoring Juventus midfielder in Champions League history, each with 9 goals, behind only Nedvěd’s 11 goals.
Versatility vs. Mastery: While McKennie is highly valued for his positional versatility across the midfield and defense, the other three were primary playmakers or midfield generals, considered among the best in the world in their specific, central roles. Right or wrong, those guys are usually the ones who get the big money.
Impact and Legacy: Nedvěd and Zidane both won the prestigious Ballon d’Or, and all three past players were central figures in multiple Serie A title wins, enjoying highly successful and decorated spells that firmly cemented their places as club icons.
Weston has a ways to go to stack up next to those three as a Juve club icons.
The announcer called him the Juve superstar. Can’t remember a US player being called that for a top European team before. Meanwhile I counted 6 teams in this weeks Champions League group of matches with Americans on them.And that doesn’t include Pulisic. Remember when Klinsmann said we needed to have players playing in the CL? Looks like the US has arrived.
If Weston is not Juve’s MVP this season, he is definitely in the conversation and a strong argument can be made on his behalf.
Respective to the the current USMNT pool, if all players are healthy, playing regularly with their respective club teams, and producing, Weston is the second best #10 in the pool.
That said, and with the aforementioned in mind, for a USMNT starting 11, playing in Pochettino’s 3-4-2-1 formation, and assuming we are playing the opponent straight up, Weston starts as a LWB.
Honest question where are you playing Jedi Robinson then?
Antonee at the LCB spot.
I don’t think that happens. Just my opinion.
I hear you, and up to now, nothing would indicate that Robinson will slot into the LCB spot.
If all players are healthy, playing regularly with their respective club teams, and producing…for a USMNT starting 11, playing in Pochettino’s 3-4-2-1 formation, and assuming we are playing the opponent straight up…
…does Antonee start?…if so, at what position?
What about Weston?
Papi, I guess it’s better to have champagne problems, than go in with where do we hide Bornstein that he won’t hurt us?
——————-
My guess is one of Weah or McKennie won’t start. But both Jedi and Dest start.
Season after season this kid has to prove himself again and again….. From the embarrassment of the club taking his locker…. His number…. His parking space……. Yet he comes back with incredible resilience and not only starts but becomes the spark of the team time and time again.
Juve do not value McKennie, because if they did they will not make a fuss about paying him 3.8 million when there are players on the team NOT DOING $HIT and being paid north of 7-8 million while not doing much. I really hope he gives them the middle finger and leaves them on Free transfer while he is riding high AGAIN this season. F@$& Juventus!
Amen to that..
Agree completely! The ratings after matches are IMHO way low usually.
I’m confused who assisted on that Weston goal against Benfica? If you noticed Weston’s recent surge goes right along with David’s surge in production. Why is Wes suddenly popping up in these spaces in and around the box? Because David is creating that space by dragging defenders all over. Both have been thriving in Spalletti’s system. David 4g 3a since Luciano took over Wes 5g 4a plus Yildaz 5g 4a. The three of them playing with and off each other has built Spalletti’s success. Yildaz makes less than Weston.
————————-
Strikers make more money than midfielders, QBs make more money than RBs, pitchers make more money than catchers, that’s just the way it workers.
————————-
Wes has always had good relationships with his managers and teammates. The disconnect has always been between upper management and Wes’s agents (Cory Gibbs). Wes is Juve’s longest tenured regular so I won’t be surprised if this extension still gets done, but I also won’t be shocked if both sides just want to move on. Why is Nedved the top scoring MF, because he played twice as long as anyone on that list. Why does Vidal only have 9 he only stayed 3 years?
Yup and you make my point:
“Both have been thriving in Spalletti’s system. David 4g 3a since Luciano took over Wes 5g 4a plus Yildaz 5g 4a.”
Yet Highest Paid Juventus Players (Gross Annual Salary 2025/26)
Dušan Vlahović: €22.22 million
Jonathan David: €11.11 million
Gleison Bremer: €9.26 million
Lois Openda: €7.40 million
Manuel Locatelli: €7.00 million
Francisco Conceicao: €7.00 million
Khephren Thuram: €6.50 million
Teun Koopmeiners: €5.77 million
Federico Gatti: €5.74 million
Pierre Kalulu: €5.50 million
Who on the top 10 player list for Juventus is CURRENTLY contributing DOUBLE OR THREE TIMES MORE than McKennie? ABSOLUTELY NONE. McKennie has the second most Champions League goals amongst ALL Juventus midfielders in the team’s HISTORY…..record that would give any other player STATUS ON THAT TEAM.
I’m sorry, there is absolutely NO EXCUSE you can make for the way Juventus is treating McKennie. None.
Bizzy: that’s how they treat all of them. Wes is on that list because he’s outlasted all but Nedved. Dybala, Chiesa, Weah, Douglas Luiz, Kean, Weah, Arthur, Kulusevski. All have been pushed on when they haven’t produced yet Wes has been retained. If you look at player salaries they generally don’t change a lot when you stay at a club. We are used to the American pro sports model you have a big season you’re rewarded with a contract extension that ups your salary to reflect your contribution. That doesn’t happen in European soccer. Pulisic made the same $ at Chelsea whether he was their best player or couldn’t get off the bench. Reyna got a big raise when he joined the full team but basically made the same salary from 2020 until he left in August. Vlahovic and David have big salaries because they were high demand targets when they were signed. Wes was signed during the Schalke fire sale. Honestly it’s kind of surprising Juve offered him 3.2 when he came. People always ask why is this guy moving he’s comfortable and playing well? It’s because usually that’s how your salary goes up. Big clubs are big business, its not kind it’s not respectful but that’s the way it is.
Coventry City have put a 200 million pound price tag on Haji. Looks like he isnt going anywhere in Januay, lol.
Derby squashing rumors that Agyemang has interest from EPL clubs, but added he’s not for sale. I would be shocked, but I never thought Jedi to Milan was real six years ago and it nearly happened.
Agyemang has already shown he has the tools to compete in the EPL. Won’t be surprised if he leaves in the summer. Number of teams in the EPal needs strikers.
2tone,
“Agyemang has already shown he has the tools to compete in the EPL.”
That does not mean that he will. Having the tools is one thing.
Actually competing is another thing.
Moving in this window is risky. Are you certain he can repeat his Derby success in the EPL?
And if he doesn’t how much of a hit is that to his confidence and WC chances? Derby are currently a promotion playoff dark horse. They probably need to hang onto Patrick to have any realistic hopes.
And if he stays and can get them into the playoffs and maybe even win promotion that would do wonders for Patrick ‘s confidence. And that is how I would prefer him to be going into the WC , assuming he makes the team.
I personally don’t want him to move because I would prefer that if he makes the WC team , that ” bull in a china shop” style come as more of a surprise to our opponents.
On the other hand , if these most likely bullshit reports are true, you’re talking about serious money for Patrick. He’d have to take any such offer very seriously World Cup or not. That might make him approach the World Cup in a better frame of mind.
Looks to be real. Leeds and Cryatal Palace both enquiring about him. Crystal Palace is about to Lose Mateta and Leeds needs more depth behind Calvert-Lewin.
Reputable sources say it is not true. Leeds and Crystal Palace are not interested currently. Might that change, sure, but no offers or inquiries have been made.
BREAKING: Crystal Palace and Leeds United have made approaches for 25-year-old USMNT and Derby County striker Patrick Agyemang 🇺🇸
Derby value him at around £20m 💰
That’s the old news. It got quickly squashed. Crystal Palace is going to sell Mateta and replace him with Agyemang? That makes any sense to you? Leeds is going to pay 20 million pounds to back up Calvert-Lewin?
“ Derby County have received no approaches for striker Patrick Agyemang, with the forward not available for transfer, according to our colleagues at DerbyshireLive. Reports surfaced online claiming that Leeds United and Crystal Palace had both tabled offers for the American international, with suggestions of a £20million valuation. However, it is understood that Derby have fielded no bids for the former Charlotte FC frontman, who arrived at Pride Park from the MLS outfit last summer in a £5.9m deal.“
-its transfer season anything could happen as all of this is rumors, fed by club agendas and agents planting info. If 22yr old Jedi Robinson could get a deal to AC Milan anything can happen but …
It’s not old news and it’s not squashed…… As multiple sources are STILL talking about it and DERBY COUNTY IS INSISTING HE’S NOT FOR SALE. It’s not about what makes sense to me, it’s what makes sense to the teams in pursuit and the reason why they’re after him. By the way, most of these sources are a day or two old.
Bizzy: it’s all just other “grassroots media” reposting the same stories. It’s just clickbait. The rumor came out, a bunch of people either retweeted it and/or plagerized it off the original rumor. Then stories came out to squash it as not true. Then more people late to the party retweeted both of them, so you have some of the original story that look new because of their time stamp but are the exact story from Tuesday, and the same with the denial that came Wednesday but has been repurposed with new dates.
Seems likely Wes will be competing for the dual 10 spot. And quite frankly I think he is making a strong case to be starting next to Pulisic. Pulisic, Wes, Tillman, Aaronson, Reyna, Zendejas would be the six AM’s I would take. 5 DM’s: Cardoso, Tessman, Adams, Morris, Roldan.
Well, that was filthy. They’ve been playing him as a RW though clearly he has license to wander some as he likes to do, he popped up all the way into the left half-space. That little drag, dribble, and 1-2 would have been decent work for Lionel Messi. I genuinely didn’t know Weston even had that file on his hard drive.
I had it my head we were likely going to mostly see a 3-4-2-1 and not really feature a true #10 since it seems to be our most effective formation, but I also had sort of mentally penciled in Malik Tillman as our likely RW alongside Pulisic. But McKennie’s been killing it the closer to goal they move him. Be fascinating to see if this is just a hot streak or his new normal.
Wes has been playing in the same spot for Poch as Tillman did this summer in GC.
Yup. He looked good doing it, too.
Tillman did really well at the Gold Cup and really seemed to break through for us. But he’d best bring his lunch. He’s not been bad for Leverkusen but he hasn’t sparkled either. McKennie is without question in better form at the moment.
When you’re discussing which starter on a Champions League squad we’d like to see alongside arguably the best player at AC Milan, my but stuff has changed a bit in the last few years.
He hasn’t just scored, he’s played well and like you said he’s had license to roam.
How does this translate to the Nat Team?? I think we’re all sitting here thinking about what it’s gonna look like.
I think we spoke earlier of Weston next to Adams in this 3421 and if I recall correctly you and JR and IV and others kept saying he’s not gonna be 1 of the 2 CMs…
I countered with, how can he get the most talent on the pitch at the same time (assuming Tillman was still the most likely starter opposite Pulisic)…and advocated for Wes next to Adams…
Now I find myself wondering if Tillman can slide in next to Adams because right now Wes is balling on the RW in that 4231 Juve..
I can’t believe I’m gonna quote Alexi Lalas but these are champagne problems to have..
I guess March will give us some idea to address our curiosity huh…
We’re definitely seeing Weston’s best when he can wander and freelance a bit and find the game. He can play a lot of roles, but the two 6’s on Poch’s system need to be boring, consistent, and absolutely dependable…Pochettino does not want drama in the middle of the park, he wants control and he wants guys who are disciplined and always where they’re supposed to be. Weston’s a lot of things…but he’s going to freelance and take chances because that’s just who he is. That can leave your partner holding the bag in a double pivot and does not make Pochettino smile approvingly, for sure.
Nice job Weston! I am so glad a lot of Americans are in form abroad and in MLS. Good to see, going into March even though its early.
I know MLS 2026 season has not started, but USMNT in MLS like Freeman and Berhalther, and Luna were doing good as MLS aseason 2025 concluded.