TORINO – With McKennie one step away from the Premier League, Juventus is preparing to redesign the right wing. The midfielder’s farewell to Juventus is getting closer and closer: his agent has been in London for about a week to negotiate the sale, with Arsenal and above all Leeds in the running to secure the American leaving Turin. A sale that, given the now imminent return of Pogbawould not reduce the number of squads available to Allegri, however, going to finance the hunt for a winger capable of playing the role of deputy Cuadrado.
Juventus, Pogba and Vlahovic at the decisive test: Allegri near the end of the emergency
by Dominic Marchese
Head to head between Arsenal and Leeds, 30 million for the black and white coffers
After rejecting the proposals arrived from the Premier, specifically from Bournemouth and Aston Villa, the Arsenal court has breached McKennie’s heart. That he wants to leave Juventus only in the event of an offer from an ambitious club, with an interesting project and with the possibility of playing his cards by exploiting the space granted to him in the most difficult championship in the world. Conditions that McKennie found in Arsenal’s offer, close to 30 million euros, a deal both for the player, who would play in the team currently leading the Premier League, and for Juventus, who would collect a very interesting figure for a player with a keen sense of goal (13 goals in 96 appearances for black and white) but also tactically and technically difficult to manage. In the last few hours, however, Leeds, a team equally appreciated by the American despite the fact that the standings are completely different: the Whites are in fact fifteenth, just three points from the last place occupied by Everton and Southampton. McKennie has given his willingness to move to Leeds, who are now in full negotiation with Juventus for the deal formula. The bianconeri would like a definitive transfer or a loan with an obligation to buy, while the English are willing to offer an onerous loan with the right to buy in June, then carefully evaluating the possibility of buying the American midfielder outright only in the summer. The figure, as anticipated, is close to 30 million: in the event of an agreement with Leeds, Juventus will be able to bet on the right winger to complete the squad.
McKennie’s proceeds will be partially reinvested in the right-wing market
The audition that Thursday will involve Pogba, as well as Vlahovic, will be fundamental for the Juventus championship. In fact, with the sale of McKennie, Allegri would lose a midfielder capable of occupying various positions: midfielder, right winger, attacking midfielder. Pogba’s return would plug the hole in the centre, while the purchase of a right winger would solve the dilemma on the assistant Cuadrado, a task performed by McKennie in recent games also given De Sciglio’s constant injuries. The Colombian returned to the match against Atalanta, playing a part of the match: with the Italian Cup, the Europa League and the championship still at stake, a level alternative is needed. The ideal profile is that of Atalanta’s Maehle, who just last Sunday scored against what could become his next team. However, the Bergamo players would not be so willing to sell him, asking for 10 million to let him leave: the Karsdorp track remains valid as an alternative, even if Roma want to monetize it and are not open to a loan with the right to buy. With still six days on the market, it will be necessary to sell McKennie quickly and then dive on the outside. The risk, in the event that the deal with Leeds fails, is to remain without a winger and with a player in the squad who, in all probability, will leave the black and whites at the end of the season.
