Weston McKennie could be going back to the Premier League, this time on a permanent basis.
Sky Sport Italia reported on Tuesday that the U.S. men’s national team midfielder could be leaving Juventus for Aston Villa as part of an unusual — at least, for European soccer — multi-player trade.
Per the report, which has since been backed up by multiple outlets, Juve is in talks to send McKennie, wide man Samuel Iling-Junior, and between €18-20 million to Villa in exchange for Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz.
While the reports caution that the deal is not done, Gianluca Di Marzio has claimed that McKennie’s camp has already agreed to contract details with the Birmingham-based club.
Despite an impressive season that saw McKennie post 10 assists as a full-time starter, Juve has seemed set on moving the USMNT regular out the door.
A March contract offer reportedly involved asking the 25-year-old to take a pay cut, and the Italian giants may have been rushing to get something for McKennie this summer rather than losing him on a free transfer when his contract ends after the 2024-25 season.
Juventus reportedly made an improved offer in April, though McKennie rejected that as well amid rumors of interest from clubs in MLS and Saudi Arabia.
Aston Villa move could benefit McKennie
A move to Villa could be a positive development for McKennie. Unai Emery led the club to a fourth-place finish this past season, getting the Villans into the Champions League for the first time.
With Luiz moving as part of the rumored deal, McKennie would be a frontrunner to start in the Villa midfield alongside John McGinn and Youri Tielemans.
McKennie’s prior spell in the Premier League was a difficult half-season spent on loan with Leeds United in 2023. Leeds ended up being relegated, while McKennie struggled for good form amid multiple coaching changes.
However, this past season with Juventus proved that McKennie could be a consistent starter at a top club. Per USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter, McKennie returned to Turin to find he didn’t even have a locker, with the club seeming to have moved on.
McKennie battled his way into the starting lineup in the season’s first few weeks, and by season’s end had totaled 2,950 minutes in all competitions for the Bianconeri.
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