Leeds has announced the signing of Weston McKennie from Juventus on loan with an option to buy.
Fabrizio Romano has reported the deal will see Leeds pay a €1.2 million loan fee, with a purchase option at the end of the season worth €33m plus add-ons.
McKennie becomes the fifth American involved with the club’s first-team setup. The midfielder will join his international teammates Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson on the field, while Jesse Marsch is the head coach (for now) and Chris Armas was recently added as an assistant.
Additionally, the club is minority owned by 49ers Enterprises, with the American group reportedly looking to complete a full takeover in the near future.
✍️ #LUFC is delighted to announce the signing of Weston McKennie on loan until the end of the season
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 30, 2023
McKennie had been tipped to leave Juventus recently as the club deals with the fallout from a scandal that has seen it docked 15 points in the table due to false accounting regarding its transfer activity.
On Saturday, Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri confirmed that McKennie had been left out for Sunday’s game against Monza as a move nears.
“He absolutely won’t be involved, he’s at the center of transfer rumors,” Allegri said. “I think the club has already reached an agreement with the club he’ll be joining.”
The 24-year-old had been linked with the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund, while he reportedly turned down interest from Aston Villa and Bournemouth in the hopes that a bigger club would enter the fray.
But the USMNT midfielder has landed at a club that is closer to Villa and Bournemouth than Arsenal or Spurs. Perhaps the American connection, and the chance to reconstitute two-thirds of USMNT’s MMA midfield, was too enticing to pass up.
McKennie joined Juventus from Schalke in 2020 on an initial loan deal with an option to buy, and Juventus made his move permanent in March 2021 for €28 million.
The American was a regular for Juve in two and a half seasons with the club, making 96 total appearances while scoring 13 goals.
