‘In my agent’s hands’ - USMNT’s Weston McKennie wants Juventus stay as contract nears expiration
U.S. men's national team star Weston McKennie says he'd like to stay at Juventus, but his future is in the hands of his agent and the club. The American midfielder's contract expires in June, but having carved out a big role once again in Turin, McKennie is open to staying. Without an extension in place, rumors have been swirling since the summer about McKennie's future. McKennie has been with Juventus since 2020, having originally joined on loan before the club made the deal permanent in 2021. In 2023, having fallen out of the club's plans, McKennie went on loan to Leeds, but the American went on to reclaim his spot before signing a contract extension with Juve in the spring of 2024.On Monday, speaking at an event hosted by his charity, McKennie's Magical Youth Mission, the midfielder said he's open to staying on at Juve, but the negotiations are out of his hands.“I was talking about it with my dad before, and I said, 'My goodness, I've been here for almost six years,'" McKennie told reporters. "Turin is a huge part of my life, so I want to do everything I can for the people here. Two hundred appearances? It was a huge moment for me, for my family, and for the people in America. For everyone, but especially for me: I'm very happy to have reached this milestone. It's difficult to be here and make 200 appearances, but I did it, and hopefully there will be another hundred.”He added, “I hope to stay at Juventus. But I leave it all in my agent’s hands."McKennie has been playing this season under yet another new coach, as Luciano Spaletti took over to kickstart a new era on Oct. 30. Since Spaletti's arrival, McKennie has been a consistent piece for the Old Lady, finding his best form of the season. He's started 11 games since Spaletti's arrival, scoring goals against Bodo/Glimt and Pafoc FC in the Champions League while also chipping in assists in Serie A clashes against Napoli and Roma."It was a difficult time before, but now we've rediscovered our identity," McKennie said. "The coach, who is a great coach, knows how to play football and how to train players. I really like him, and we hope to finish the year strong against Pisa by taking another three points. He pays attention to the little things, the things that not everyone normally pays much attention to. He also talks to the players individually; he's a good coach, even in terms of his relationship with each player."In training, he always says you have to make sacrifices for the team and your teammates, and even to score goals. He says it's better to provide an assist because that way you'll smile twice instead of just once. Scudetto? I think the important thing for us is just to stay focused and focus on the next match. Take every day like this, move forward, and don't think too much ahead."With this past weekend's win over Roma, Juve are up to fifth in Serie A, four points behind league-leaders Inter, who have a game in hand, with AC Milan, Napoli, and Roma in between.Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingMcKennie and Juventus will end the 2025 calendar year on Saturday with one final Serie A match against Pisa. After that, they'll open 2026 on Jan. 3 with a home match against Lecce.
U.S. men's national team star Weston McKennie says he'd like to stay at Juventus, but his future is in the hands of his agent and the club. The American midfielder's contract expires in June, but having carved out a big role once again in Turin, McKennie is open to staying. Without an extension in place, rumors have been swirling since the summer about McKennie's future. McKennie has been with Juventus since 2020, having originally joined on loan before the club made the deal permanent in 2021. In 2023, having fallen out of the club's plans, McKennie went on loan to Leeds, but the American went on to reclaim his spot before signing a contract extension with Juve in the spring of 2024.On Monday, speaking at an event hosted by his charity, McKennie's Magical Youth Mission, the midfielder said he's open to staying on at Juve, but the negotiations are out of his hands.“I was talking about it with my dad before, and I said, 'My goodness, I've been here for almost six years,'" McKennie told reporters. "Turin is a huge part of my life, so I want to do everything I can for the people here. Two hundred appearances? It was a huge moment for me, for my family, and for the people in America. For everyone, but especially for me: I'm very happy to have reached this milestone. It's difficult to be here and make 200 appearances, but I did it, and hopefully there will be another hundred.”He added, “I hope to stay at Juventus. But I leave it all in my agent’s hands."McKennie has been playing this season under yet another new coach, as Luciano Spaletti took over to kickstart a new era on Oct. 30. Since Spaletti's arrival, McKennie has been a consistent piece for the Old Lady, finding his best form of the season. He's started 11 games since Spaletti's arrival, scoring goals against Bodo/Glimt and Pafoc FC in the Champions League while also chipping in assists in Serie A clashes against Napoli and Roma."It was a difficult time before, but now we've rediscovered our identity," McKennie said. "The coach, who is a great coach, knows how to play football and how to train players. I really like him, and we hope to finish the year strong against Pisa by taking another three points. He pays attention to the little things, the things that not everyone normally pays much attention to. He also talks to the players individually; he's a good coach, even in terms of his relationship with each player."In training, he always says you have to make sacrifices for the team and your teammates, and even to score goals. He says it's better to provide an assist because that way you'll smile twice instead of just once. Scudetto? I think the important thing for us is just to stay focused and focus on the next match. Take every day like this, move forward, and don't think too much ahead."With this past weekend's win over Roma, Juve are up to fifth in Serie A, four points behind league-leaders Inter, who have a game in hand, with AC Milan, Napoli, and Roma in between.Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingMcKennie and Juventus will end the 2025 calendar year on Saturday with one final Serie A match against Pisa. After that, they'll open 2026 on Jan. 3 with a home match against Lecce.
