At the start of the campaign, Weston McKennie was having problems both on and off the pitch. The American was thus tipped to leave Juventus after failing to convince Max Allegri.
Nonetheless, the midfielder’s status is beginning to improve, as showcased by his performances against Inter and Sassuolo.
While these displays were far from being masterpieces, the 23-year-old looked much more composed in comparison with some of his earlier displays this season. And finally, he managed to score his first goal of the campaign.
According TuttoJuve, the Juventus manager is now hoping to maintain McKennie’s services beyond the January transfer market despite receiving enquiries from other clubs.
The Texan arrived to Turin last season, and was a regular starter for Andrea Pirlo early in the season before losing his spot later on.
Juve FC say
In pre-season, Allegri raised the bar for the former Schalke man, asking for 10 goals this season.
At this rate, the USMNT star is unlikely to reach this target, however, the tactician would surely forgive him if he makes up for it by helping the team in other aspects.
McKennie remains a young player, and while his technical attributes need to improve, his stamina and physical strength can be admired.
At the moment, Juventus need midfielders with a little more quality to help the team pounce back and compete for the top spots again. But in the meantime, the American has the chance to prove that he’s not a lost cause.
McKennie was easily the most influential Juventus player over the course of the match vs. Sassuolo. In addition to scoring the only goal for the home side, he showed much more composure in the build-up, pinging accurate crosses into the box and slipping crafty through balls to teammates in more advanced positions, while continuing to play aggressively on the defensive side.
This is what we need to build the youth into stars and stop wasting so much money on older players