An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their pursuit of Juventus central midfielder Weston McKennie ahead of the January transfer window…
What’s the talk?
According to the printed edition of newspaper Corriere di Torino (via Tutto Juve), Spurs are currently the team leading the group of Premier League sides in the race to land his signature next month.
The report claims, however, that German giants Borussia Dortmund are also in pole position to sign the USA international, which puts them and Antonio Conte’s outfit at the front of the queue.
Calciomercato recently revealed that the Old Lady are looking for a fee in the region of €3om (£26m) in order to part ways with the former FC Schalke man.
Big Oliver Skipp upgrade
Fabio Paratici could land Conte a big upgrade on Ollie Skipp by securing a deal ahead of Dortmund to sign McKennie at the start of 2023.
The Spurs academy product has struggled since making his return from injury this season. He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.67 in the Premier League and a score of 6.55 in the Champions League – making eight appearances across the two competitions combined.
Skipp, 22, has failed to win any duels in Europe and won 38% of his individual battles in the English top-flight, which shows that he has found the physical side of the game particularly challenging along with being unable to deliver consistently solid performances.
Meanwhile, McKennie, 24, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.84 in the Serie A and 6.74 in the Champions League, whilst winning between 38 and 39% of his duels – suggesting that he is on a similar level from a physical perspective.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously described him as being “incredibly underrated” and the gem’s former manager, David Wagner, once hailed his talents by saying: “He’s an outstanding talent. In the No.6 or No.8 position he has the mentality, a real working mentality that you need. And he’s brave on the ball as well. He can be one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga.”
The USA international, who started four matches at the 2022 World Cup, has scored one goal and created three ‘big chances’ from midfield in nine Serie A starts this season, whilst Skipp has not registered a single strike or ‘big chance’ created in any competitive match in 2022/23.
These statistics indicate that the Juventus dynamo could be a big upgrade on the current Spurs man as he offers more in terms of his average performance level and his contributions at the top end of the pitch, breaking forward as part of a box-to-box role.