Aston Villa eyeing £30m star who’s ‘hungry’ to succeed in Premier League

Fri 14 July 2023 16:15, UK

Aston Villa have been linked with Weston McKennie in recent days.

reported earlier this month that the Villans’ interest in the Juventus midfielder is now ‘alive again’.

Villa seemingly tried to sign McKennie in the past, but to no avail. He ended up joining Leeds on loan this year.

However, the American won’t be moving to the Yorkshire side now they’ve gone down.

They had a £30million option to buy McKennie, which they didn’t take up due to their relegation.

In addition, Juve have reportedly frozen McKennie out, so he needs to find a new club if he wants to play again.

Now, journalist Dean Jones has potentially provided Villa with a boost with regards to the player’s stance.

The transfer insider, speaking on , reckons the 24-year-old is ‘hungry’ to succeed in the Premier League.

After his difficult spell at Leeds, he apparently wants to prove he has what it takes to shine in the English top flight.

Jones also suggested that McKennie could potentially prove a “masterstroke” of a signing for Unai Emery and co.

“I don’t think McKennie would be a misstep in the market for Unai Emery,” he said.

“But he could actually be a masterstroke. Barely anyone else is in for him right now.

“In England, yeah, he’s been tarnished a bit by that loan (at Leeds).

“I’d say that’s more because he couldn’t get into his groove and became a victim in a way that their season curtailed.

“He’s such a good player in the right setup. I think he could be a big success in the Premier League.

“I know that he’s still hungry to make it work and would certainly have another shot at it if he could.”

Our view

Villa have been cooking this summer, making several shrewd signings and bringing in Monchi from Sevilla.

Emery quickly turned things around at Villa and things look positive ahead of a big 2023-24 season for them.

By contrast, McKennie has endured a difficult year, first with a tough spell at Leeds, and now in terms of his Juve future.

He’s an outstanding player nonetheless and one poor half-season won’t change that.

McKennie seems like a good shout for Villa, who in turn have what it takes to make sure his year ends on a high note.