Aston Villa have made contact with Weston McKennie’s representatives, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Villans previously signalled their intention to sign the USA midfielder and Romano revealed that they were exploring the conditions surrounding a potential deal.
McKennie has an opportunity to leave Juventus this month, with Premier League clubs among those interested in his services, with Calciomercato reporting at the beginning of the window that Juve plan to cash in on the 24-year-old for a reported £35-40m fee despite his prominence in the Old Lady’s side.
The American has played 19 times for Juventus this season with 16 of those starts, including two 90-minute displays in three games following the World Cup.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, the Italian transfer guru revealed Villa’s contact over McKennie’s future.
He said: “At the moment, from what I’m told, they just had a call. It was two weeks ago to explore the conditions of the deal with people close to the player.”
TIF Thoughts on Romano’s comments…
Since Unai Emery’s arrival, Villa have regularly been deploying four central midfielders with a diamond favoured in the middle of the park by the Spaniard.
It’s a setup that we think could bring the best out of the USMNT star, with his box-to-box work critical on either edge of a midfield diamond.
He’s in the top 14% for goals by midfielders over the past year (via FBref) amid being in the top 69% and 68% percentile for blocks and clearances, displaying his work at both ends of the pitch, seeing him dubbed a “powerhouse” by Roger Bennett.
Villa are heavily exploring the market for a midfielder, with Ben Jacobs revealing their interest in Matteo Guendouzi as they look to bolster the engine room ahead of the second half of the campaign, but McKennie certainly offers an exciting and powerful option.