Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Weston McKennie as the January transfer window looms after the World Cup.
The Lowdown: Spurs target midfielder
Antonio Conte is apparently interested in bringing the American central-midfielder to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in a bid to strengthen his team's bid to secure Champions League football.
Current midfield options include the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre Emile Hojbjerg, but a new recruit may be in order for when fixtures begin to mount up upon the resumption of the season after the Qatar World Cup.
The Latest: McKennie transfer trouble?
As per a report from CalcioMercato, Spurs may table an offer in January, but this could be hampered by the fact that Fabio Paratici and Juventus' sporting director Federico Cherubini have a strained personaly relationship.
The latter accused the Tottenham man of "drugging the market" by spending too much money on players during their time working together at Juventus, namely in a £38m deal for Dejan Kulusevski.
Owing to the personal disagreements between the two, Tottenham may now miss out on the 40-time USA international, as the report from CalcioMercato says it is difficult to see the pair at a negotiating table.
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The Verdict: Disappointing development
Despite the USA's round of 16 exit from the World Cup, McKennie had time to impress potential suitors, and looked particularly good against England, with his performance being dubbed "excellent" by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
Over the past year with Juventus, the 24-year-old has displayed his attacking prowess with his current club, averaging 2.8 touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 minutes, placing him in the 94th percentile compared to his positional peers.
The midfield maestro would be a great rotation option for Spurs if they were able to secure a deal for him in January, particularly with the busy schedule that will commence when the season resumes, with Premier League, FA cup and Champions League games to contend with.
As such, it is a disappointing development that a move is in jeopardy because of the personal relationship between Paratici and Cherubini.