Man Utd tipped to sign former Leeds United star Ratcliffe adores as Euro giants plan shock sale

Manchester United are set for a busy summer window, and reports suggest that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is eyeing a complete transformation of their midfield. The Ineos chief plans to get rid of players who aren’t part of his long-term plans, such as ageing stars Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, who are on big wages. Sofyan Amrabat will also depart Old Trafford when his loan from Fiorentina ends, so the Red Devils could look to sign three new midfielders in the upcoming window.

As previously reported by TEAMtalk, former Leeds United midfielder Weston McKennie, who plays for Juventus, is one player Ratcliffe ‘loves’. The United States international has enjoyed a solid season with the Italian giants, making 34 appearances across all competitions and making 10 assists in the process.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus have hit a roadblock in contract negotiations with McKennie and are now ‘considering cashing in’ on the 25-year-old. Max Allegri’s team would ‘prefer to sell him now’ rather than losing him on a free transfer at the end of next season and therefore a summer departure is ‘likely.’

McKennie fell out of favour at Juventus last year and that resulted in him being loaned out to Leeds, where he made 19 Premier League appearances in total. He was unable to save the Whites from relegation but put in some impressive displays that caught the attention of several English clubs.

Along with Man Utd, Aston Villa have previously been linked with McKennie but it seems that Unai Emery will focus on other targets this summer. The Red Devils are now reportedly at the front of the queue for the American’s signature and he could prove to be a valuable addition to the team.

McKennie generally plays as a defensive midfielder and could make a perfect partner for hot prospect Kobbie Mainoo in a double pivot. The Juve star makes an average of 1.7 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 2.2 clearances per game in Serie A – putting him in the top seven per cent of all midfielders in the division for the latter stat.

Ratcliffe seems very tempted to make an offer for McKennie, so it will be interesting to see how this story develops in the coming months.