Fabio Paratici Set To Ruin Arsenal Bid For Juventus Star, Weston McKennie

The Gunners have enjoyed a better campaign so far and currently sit top of the Premier League table, four points ahead of Spurs in third. Antonio Conte continues to be linked with a return to Juventus as manager, but sporting director Fabio Paratici is looking to raid the Italian giants once again for yet another star midfielder.

According to Friday’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Juventus could be persuaded to cash in on Weston McKennie in the January transfer window as they look to raise funds to sign Leandro Paredes permanently. Italian journalist Enrico De Lellis has claimed Paratici has followed the United States international for ‘some time and is keen to secure a deal for McKennie who is also attracting interest from Arsenal.

As per Calciomercato, the Gunners are thought to be keen on agreeing to a swap deal which would see Albert Sambi Lokonga head to Juve, with the American midfielder coming to the Emirates Stadium.

Should Paratici look to offer a straight cash deal for McKennie, Juventus would surely prefer this as it helps them acquire funds to invest in signing Paredes on a permanent deal.

Mikel Arteta wants to add a new central midfielder to his squad after the Gunners missed out on securing a Deadline Day deal for Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, who has now extended his stay at Villa Park until 2027. McKennie may be swayed to join Arsenal due to their superior league position, but Spurs’ appeal of Champions League football and cash-only offer may be the deciding factors in any deal.

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Everything you need to know about Weston McKennie

Who is Weston McKennie?

McKennie is a 24-year-old central midfielder, currently playing for Juventus whom he has been with since 2020. Initially joining on loan from Schalke 04 before the Italian giants made the move permanent last summer on a four-year contract.

Born in Washington, McKennie lived in Kaiserslautern, Germany, from age six to nine as his father was a United States Airforce officer stationed nearby.

McKennie started playing for the local club FC Phönix Otterbach in 2004, before moving back to the United States. McKennie then came through the youth system of FC Dallas for seven years from 2009 to 2016, before moving back to Germany and Schalke.

Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.

He played 91 times for the German club before joining Juventus, where he has made 88 appearances to date. He made his debut for the USMNT as a 19-year-old in a friendly against Portugal and has since gone on to play 37 times for his country scoring nine times.

How much could Weston McKennie cost?

The Sun reported he could be available for around £20million a year ago.

Since then he has elevated his game further, though, becoming a mainstay within Juventus’ starting XI in a variety of different positions. His versatility and growing reputation may have increased his value since that time.

Not to mention, he has also racked up 23 Champions League appearances to date in his career. Transfermarkt value the player at £22.5million currently, but they have notoriously low values for players in their database.

He could cost in excess of £30million for the Whites, which would put him around transfer record-breaking territory.