Juventus won't budge: McKennie salary demands revealed
Weston McKennie may still play for Juventus for another year, but he is aiming for a new, richer contract.
Following his unimpressive loan stint at Leeds United last season, McKennie has made an outstanding return in Turin. This season, the American midfielder has played over 2,800 minutes for Massimiliano Allegri’s side. He has thus appeared in 36 games and assisted on 10 goals.
The Old Lady’s progress to the Coppa Italia Final and current top-four position in Serie A are greatly due to McKennie. That’s even though the USMNT star was reportedly linked with a possible transfer away last summer.
What did McKennie previously say about his future?
The 25-year-old recently revealed wanting to help Juventus win trophies and return to Europe. However, he couldn’t say for sure what the future holds.
“I have a year left in my contract, and my agent is speaking with the director,” McKennie told DAZN following Juventus’ 1-1 Serie A draw with Roma last Sunday. “I’d like to stay, obviously, but we’ll see what happens. Hopefully, we can work it out. As for the team, we have the same goal we’ve had for the past three years.”
“We want to win the Scudetto and play a big role in the Champions League; we want to return Juventus to the glory days, how it was before,” he added.
“Juventus are a team with a lot of winning history, and this team wants to show that we belong in that history as well, so hopefully, we can win the Coppa Italia, at least a trophy this season and finish the season strong and for the future put Juventus where we belong.”
McKennie requests better salary from Juventus
With a solid finish to the season, McKennie may be able to sign a new deal before the 2024 Copa America event. But despite his meteoric rise to star status this season, the Bianconeri may decide to sell him after all.
That’s because, according to reports, to extend his contract, McKennie is supposedly seeking a salary of $3.2 million. It would match that of his midfield partner Manuel Locatelli.
The club is proposing the American midfielder a contract extension. However, Tuttosport claims that the new offer is at a reduced wage; rather than the $2.7 million he is presently earning.
So, instead of risking losing the player for free in 2025, Juventus may try to offload the American this summer. Given McKennie’s remarkable comeback this season, when he is a crucial cog for Juve, it would be an unexpected turn of events.
In fact, for an instant, the USMNT star seemed to recently provide a huge indication that he was going to switch clubs this summer. His official Facebook profile picture had him in a Manchester United jersey, grinning from ear to ear.
Despite its brief duration, it garnered sufficient attention to generate several comments and shares. After causing a stir with a photo of himself wearing a United shirt, the 25-year-old had his Facebook account hacked.
PHOTOS: IMAGO