Weston McKennie, Manchester United, Red Devils, Old Trafford, Premier League
Manchester United could include Donny van de Beek as part of a prospective deal to bring Weston McKennie to Old Trafford this year, according to reports from Italy.
The Lowdown: Juventus in crisis
Juventus value the American midfielder at €50m (£44m), and recent events suggest that they might be left with little option but to cash in on him if the Premier League giants maintain their reported interest.
In a sensational development on Friday night, the Bianconeri were deducted 15 points for alleged financial irregularities and false accounting, in an instant dumping them to mid-table in Serie A and leaving them with little hope of claiming a Champions League berth for next season.
The Latest: McKennie-Van de Beek swap mooted
Following on from that hammer blow for Juventus, Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb reported that United have offered Van de Beek to the Turin club as part of a prospective deal to bring McKennie the other way this summer.
The Red Devils have asked about signing the 24-year-old, and it has been suggested that the Dutch midfielder could be sacrificed in an attempt to execute the deal during discussions between the two clubs.
The Verdict: Would make sense for Man United
Although Van de Beek stood out in Erik ten Hag‘s Ajax team which reached the Champions League semi-finals four years ago, scoring three times in that European campaign, the 25-year-old’s fortunes since joining United in 2020 have been alarming.
He was loaned out to Everton a year ago amid a lack of game-time at Old Trafford, a situation which has not improved this season. His manager issued a warning in November that the £120,000-per-week midfielder needs to “step up” his game, something that Van de Beek won’t be able to do for some time after suffering a season-ending knee injury earlier this month.
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Therefore, United might be best advised to cut their losses with the Dutchman this year, especially if it means being able to bring in McKennie – who has previously been dubbed a “unique” talent by USA national team coach Gregg Berhalter – amid the crisis at Juventus.
As per FBref, the American has averaged more goals and assists per game, a better pass completion and tackling rate, and a better dribbling completion percentage than Van de Beek, which suggests that he could be of more use to Ten Hag than the stricken 19-cap Netherlands midfielder.
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