Weston McKennie’s impressive resurgence at Juventus has made him the top-rated player of the season for the Turin club, according to TuttoSport, a Turin-based news outlet.
Scoring a 6.44 on a scale of one to ten, McKennie surpassed the second-highest rating, which belonged to goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny (6.32). Tuttosport has released detailed ratings for each game this season, revealing the USMNT star as Juventus’ highest-rated player. A remarkable feat.
Initially, it seemed like McKennie’s Juventus journey concluded last season during his six-month loan to Leeds United. McKennie faced a challenging second half of the previous season with Leeds United, witnessing the Yorkshire club’s relegation from the English Premier League, down to the Championship. However, following Leeds’ relegation, he returned to Turin and, in the summer of 2023, worked hard to earn a spot in Allegri’s plans. Starting as a wingback, McKennie eventually secured a prominent role in central midfield, showcasing his versatility.
Throughout the season, McKennie played various positions, starting as a right wingback in the 3-5-2 formation and transitioning to midfield due to the suspensions of Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli. He has become a crucial player for Allegri, displaying adaptability across the pitch. While he’s yet to score this season, the 25-year-old has contributed two assists, illustrating his remarkable turnaround from being transfer-listed a few months ago to becoming a pivotal figure in the team.
During the 19F Podcast with Juventus teammate Moise Kean, McKennie criticized ‘close-minded’ Italians for doubting Americans’ ability to play top-level football in Italy. The USMNT midfielder highlighted that he is one of six American players currently plying their trade in the country, and all are thriving.
“I like it because everyone [in Italy] thinks Americans only play baseball, basketball, and so on. When I arrived three years and a half ago everyone was asking who I was. ‘An American? Can he play football?” the Texan said. “Now, there are [Christian] Pulisic and [Yunus] Musah at [AC] Milan, Tanner Tessmann and Gianluca Busio in Venice, and Timothy Weah at Juventus. Now everyone knows Americans can play football.”
“There are other players from Germany and Spain, but as I said before, in Italy, everyone is a bit stuck in the head like this, and maybe they didn’t know we [Americans] can also play football, not only basketball.”
On Saturday, Juventus faces Jose Mourinho’s Roma, and AC Milan hosts Sassuolo in a Serie A showdown. The spotlight in Italy will be on the USMNT, with Weah anticipated to start alongside McKennie and Musah alongside Pulisic.
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