Weston McKennie is two games into his unforeseen Juventus career and the naysayers are already hunting for his head. A transfer that many claimed was a mistake from McKennie and is still being received with doubt. A common trend when it comes to USMNT players making big moves to elite clubs. We saw this same doubt when Christian Pulisic went to Chelsea and now we are seeing it with McKennie.
Is Juventus really the right club for McKennie at this stage in his career? The short answer is yes but more importantly here is why…
Juventus Believe in Him
The first reason why Juventus is perfect for McKennie is for a reason that has nothing to do with anything on the pitch. Juventus believe in McKennie. That simple, but how do we know this?
First of all because Juventus were willing to pay $5.3 million for a loan. Paying such a fee for a loan shows the confidence Juventus have in McKennie’s ability to make an immediate impact. On top of paying for the loan, there is a clause that would require Juventus to make the trasnfer permanent.
Reports from Sky Sports claim that if McKennie appears in more than 60% of the games this season then Juventus will be obligated to purchase McKennie. There was even another report that the obligation to buy is based on if Juventus qualify for Champions League. Regardless of whichever one it is they are both practically guaranteed to occur.
This is evidence that in fact Juventus have full intention of making McKennie’s move permanent. Which makes perfect sense considering the difficult financial times clubs are going through during the pandemic. It allows Juventus to obtain McKennie’s services while keeping their books balanced.
The second piece of evidence showing Juventus’s belief in McKennie is that he takes up one of two valuable non-EU roster spot. In the Serie A, teams are only allowed 2 players from another European club outside the Serie A that don’t have European passports. Juventus could have used this slot for any player in Europe and decided to use it on the USMNT midfielder.
McKennie’s Unique Skillset
While there are several other players throughout the world who have the same skillset as McKennie, none of them play at Juventus. Well, not anymore.
McKennie is a high energy, versatile, athletic, ball-winning specialist. A skillset and role that Juventus is now lacking with the departure of Matuidi and Khedira this window. McKennie is a direct replacement to Matuidi who has played the most games out of any other Juventus player in the past 3 years. Showing how critical the defensive midfielder role is to Juventus’ success.
This is all fantastic news for McKennie. Not only is his skillset and role valued at Juventus, no other player at the club does what he does. Bentancur, Arthur, and Ramsey are no ball winners. Rabiot is capable of defensive duties but is unreliable and prefers joining in the attack.
Many are concerned that McKennie won’t get enough playing time at Juventus but there is no need for concern. Regardless of whatever system is played at Juventus under Pirlo, a reliable ball winner who will do the dirty work is always an essential piece to any winning team. McKennie will get plenty of playing time because he is the only one who will provide this for Juventus.
Juventus Teammates
McKennie’s biggest weaknesses are his decision making, soccer IQ and not the sharpest technical ability whether its dribbling or passing. All weaknesses that happen to be the strengths of his fellow Juventus midfielders.
Arthur, Rabiot, and Bentancur all happen to be technical and smart players but rarely do all the dirty work and ball-winning that McKennie provides. McKennie covers their weaknesses and they cover his. Thus creating a balanced midfield.
But not only can he cover for their weaknesses, he can also learn the technical side of the game by constantly practicing and playing alongside his Juventus teammates. Helping McKennie further develop the weaker side of his game. Something he wasn’t able to do at Shalke because of the lack of quality players surrounding him.
Speaking of development…
Pirlo
While we still don’t know much about Pirlo the coach we know all about Pirlo the player. Pirlo was one of the most technically gifted players of all time and played for some brilliant tactical sides. Pirlo can teach McKennie the tactical intricacies of being a smart midfielder like he once was.
Not only will McKennie learn a lot from Pirlo but he also fits into the philosophy Pirlo wants to play. While Pirlo changed up his tactics and formation in his opening 2 games, McKennie started in both. While it still isn’t clear what formation and tactics Pirlo will stick with in the long run, what is clear is that he wants to win possession back immediately after losing it.
Pirlo has even stated himself that he wants his teams to pressure and win the ball back immediately after losing possession. That is where McKennie’s skillset comes in. Arthur, Ramsey, and Bentancur won’t consistently provide that but that is McKennie’s specialty.
So regardless of what formation Pirlo plays, there will always be a place for McKennie because Pirlo’s system demands a high energy player who can press hard and strong right after losing possession to win the ball back. Music to McKennie’s ears.
Conclusion
Many people think McKennie is out of his depth at Juventus but in fact, he is at one of the best situations he can be at for his development. All the right factors for him to strive at Juventus are there it is just up to him to make the most of it.
So to answer the question, is Juventus really the right club for McKennie at this stage in his career?
Absolutely.
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