The club that we like to call Leeds United States of America are about to become even more Americanized. Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, linked with Arsenal earlier this week, and heavily linked with Tottenham Hotspur in recent years, is headed to Leeds.
International transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has the details in the embedded tweet below
Weston McKennie to Leeds, here we go! Understand Leeds will pay €1.2m loan fee — deal will include buy option clause for €33m plus add ons ????? #LUFC
Leeds president Radrizzani unlocked the deal with Juventus in the night.
McKennie has agreed personal terms with Leeds. pic.twitter.com/mY1g6Fuql0
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 28, 2023
Weston McKennie is now set to travel to the UK, where he will undergo a medical and sign the contract for his new team. Leeds have agreed to pay a €1.2m loan fee, on a deal that includes a buy option. The fee on that will be €33 million plus potential add-ons.
The 24-year-old Texan will join fellow USMNT stars Tyler Adams, from Wappingers Falls, New York and Brenden Aaronson of Medford, New Jersey.
Their manager is of course Jesse Marsch of Racine, Wisconsin. The club is part-owned by the same group that controls the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. Back in the 1970s, a different NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys, coined the phrase “America’s Team.”
Well, they can let Leeds United borrow that phrase now, at least for the time being. And this is a great move for Weston McKennie too. He just hasn’t quite fit in too well in Turin, and he needs a new start.
He deserves a chance to have an increased role, and Marsch will be able to provide that.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.