Brighton & Hove Albion’s alleged pursuit of Leeds United loanee Weston McKennie has been shot down by TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook.
In response to speculations connecting the Seagulls to USMNT midfielder McKennie, Crook commented on his official Twitter account, ‘anyone believes Brighton would sign McKennie is having a Weston’.
Calcio Mercato Web reported earlier this week that Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi is interested in signing McKennie this summer, citing concerns over his long-term future at Elland Road.
Brighton are expected to sign at least two new midfielders when the transfer window opens, with Moises Caicedo and Alex Mac Allister both expected to leave.
They are also thought to be competing with Leeds for the free transfer of James Milner, while Mahmoud Dahoud is poised to join after his contract at Borussia Dortmund expires.
With all due respect to McKennie, he does not appear to be the type of player Brighton would target based on their recent dealings.
They rarely spend large sums of money on a single player, but when they do, it is usually on a youngster with huge promise who can be sold for a profit in the future, as witnessed with Joao Pedro this month.
If Leeds are relegated, McKennie’s loan move from Juventus will not be transformed into a permanent stay.
However, if he survives, it opens up an interesting window for his future, with multiple rumours stating that Leeds will not exercise the buy clause in the contract, despite an obligation being accepted back in January.
McKennie’s performances have improved since Sam Allardyce’s arrival, but whether this is enough to justify spending £35 million is another thing.
Leave a Reply