While there is no denying that Aston Villa are an attractive destination these days, it is entirely possible for players to still be reluctant to join a club where European football isn’t a guarantee.
Take Weston McKennie, for example, who appears to be on his way out from Juventus after failing to fit into Max Allegri’s tactical plans, with it reported on Wednesday that the American wasn’t overly enthused at the prospect of moving to either the Villa Park side or Crystal Palace, who respectively finished 11th and 14th in the Premier League last season.
Yes, Aston Villa have money following the transfer of Jack Grealish to Manchester City, but that doesn’t immediately make everyone want to go there.
This is demonstrated by Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport, with the latter reporting on Thursday that Juventus are asking for ‘at least €30m’ for McKennie, with ‘Aston Villa ready to satisfy this valuation’.
However, Gazzetta make it very clear that the player, who ‘did not accept’ the solution of a move to West Ham and caused the negotiations to ‘immediately run aground’, ‘doesn’t like Aston Villa’.
To us, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like the club per se, but more the lack of guarantees he will be fighting further up the table, something Tottenham, with their recent reinforcements, might be able to offer him.
That’s why he would prefer a move there, where he would be reunited with Fabio Paratici, the man who brought him to Juventus last year and saved him from the struggles of fighting against relegation with Schalke 04.
This all might change come the end of the transfer window, perhaps with a lack of alternatives making him reconsider a transfer to Aston Villa, but, right now, the general consensus in Italy is that he isn’t overly keen on a move to the Midlands.
