Aston Villa Transfer News: Villans in for Serie A ace; club keen to renew

Aston Villa have been named as admirers of one of Serie A’s most in-form players, with alarm bells ringing as his club race to extend his contract.

The Villans have had a busy January, with plenty of action still possible. Unai Emery’s side have been linked with bolstering their strikeforce, as Tammy Abraham nears a return to the club.

They have also been in the race for wantaway Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is nearing a departure from south London after telling the Eagles that he wants to leave.

Elsewhere, the rumour mill continues to turn, and Villa have recently been named as being in a high-profile race for a Serie A star.

Reports in Italy have suggested that Aston Villa are interested in bringing Weston McKennie back to the Premier League.

McKennie, who was most recently on these shores in 2023 at Leeds United, has since worked his way back into Juventus’ first team, but with his contract running out and the American enjoying one of his best campaigns to date, clubs are suddenly queueing up for his signature.

According to Il Giornale (via Tutto Juve), McKennie is now an in-demand player within Italy and abroad.

The American’s recent displays have reportedly caught the attention of Villa and Atletico Madrid, as well as some of Juve’s Serie A rivals.

His numbers may not be the most impressive, but McKennie has become one of Luciano Spalletti’s most trusted players of late, starting every Serie A game since mid-October.

McKennie has also enjoyed a flurry of goals lately, with all of five of his strikes this season coming within the past two months, including crucial strikes in the Champions League, where the Bianconeri still have slim hopes of a top-8 finish.

Writer and podcaster Matt Santangelo has been among those to sing his praises, hailing McKennie as a “dependable” unsung hero.

It appears that Juventus are thinking similarly, as they are thought to be racing against the clock to secure a contract extension.

Tutto Juve’s relaying of the report suggests that Juventus are aware that failure to do so could allow a Serie A rival to snap up the 27-year-old for free, with Milan and Roma also waiting in the wings.

Therefore, as far as Villa are concerned, it appears that their best hope of luring McKennie back to England lies with Juventus extending his stay and receiving a fee for his services.

Graduated in Sport Journalism (BA) with first-class honours from the University of Brighton and has since had bylines in The Times, sports business publication SportsPro, Football FanCast and The Gooner fanzine.

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