Tottenham Hotspur would still be able to win the race for Weston McKennie, as the Juventus midfielder is holding out for a better offer than Aston Villa, according to a report.
There has been talk about Tottenham moving for McKennie for a long time, but as recently as December Antonio Conte’s side were said to be among the favourites for his signature, amid interest from the likes of Borussia Dortmund.
Earlier this month, Alasdair Gold told the Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham Podcast that Conte would sign the American ‘in a heartbeat’ (via Spurs Web), however Spurs now appear to be trailing in the transfer race, with other Premier League clubs coming to the table.
According to a report from Corriere dello Sport (via Daily Mail), the 24-year-old has turned down a £26m move to Aston Villa, and also has no interest in signing for AFC Bournemouth.
It is detailed that the 41-cap USA star is holding out for a move to Tottenham, Chelsea or Borussia Dortmund, with all three clubs registering an interest in signing him.
TIF thoughts on McKennie to Tottenham…
Hailed as ‘dangerous’ by compatriot Clint Dempsey, the former Schalke man is an attack-minded central midfielder, always looking to get on the ball in threatening areas and try to make something happen, as indicated by an average of 2.43 touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 in the past year.
That figure places him in the 89th percentile compared to other midfielders, and has helped the Texas born maestro on his way to a solid nine goals in 41 games for his national side, recently looking sharp at the World Cup, with Jamie Carragher praising his ‘energy’ in the 0-0 draw against England.
Given that Conte already has decent strength in depth to choose from in central midfield, with the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, and Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg at his disposal, signing McKennie should not be a priority, but if he is still available when Spurs have added a new right-wing back nearer the end of the window, he would be a very solid addition.