When Juventus sent Weston McKennie on loan to Leeds United, it was absolutely with the hope of never seeing him again.
The Turin club wanted Leeds to stay in the Premier League, for the purchase clause to be activated, and for the money to be made available for incoming transfers.
As the season went on and it became clear that probably wouldn’t be the case, the worry grew in the media surrounding the Serie A side.
When Leeds went down, Juventus were left with a McKennie problem and there wasn’t a queue of clubs willing to take that issue off their hands.
TuttoJuve report the club would have snatched €25m quickly from anyone willing to pay it, but in reality they’d have likely accepted a chunk less.
Things weren’t looking good for McKennie, but – credit to the player – he’s managed to turn things around and is going through a good spell for Juve.
According to TuttoJuve, he’s ‘eager, convinced and determined’ to make a go of things. And, ‘above all’, he’s willing to ‘sacrifice’ himself for the good of the team.
He’s becoming increasingly important for Juventus, and TuttoJuve even say much of the club’s potential success this season could depend on him and how he plays his role.
After the Leeds United nightmare and all the worry after that, it’s said ‘We now like big McKennie’.
