The American midfielder has found a new position at Juve, and he’s performing at a level that might make it a long-term solution
In reality, Weston McKennie is not a left-back, and, barring an unforeseen catastrophe of epic proportions, he probably won’t ever play there for the U.S. men’s national team in a big game. Fulham star Antonee Robinson has that spot locked down and multiple understudies are fighting to be his backup. As things stand, McKennie is, as he has always been, a midfielder when he wears a USMNT shirt.
Juventus, though, have once again started playing McKennie as a fullback, and it’s easy to see why they have fallen into this situation once again. The big reason? McKennie is actually very good in that spot.
Since making the switch to that spot in mid-December, McKennie has quickly made it his own. He’s started five matches as Juventus’ left-back, taking the qualities that make him such a dynamic midfielder and reapplying them to this new spot out wide. McKennie’s positional instincts as a midfielder aren’t harming his ability to play as a fullback; in fact, they’re why he’s been so effective out there to begin with.
As McKennie continues on this new positional journey, a journey that has seemed endless with Juventus in recent years, he’s finding a way to make it work at left-back in a way that doesn’t just help Juve but could help the USMNT down the line.