Team Previews: Juventus midfielders need to show growth this year
By Nick Belotto
Weston McKennie has brought out some interesting reactions from the fans over the last few seasons. He was a consistent staple in the squad but fell out of favor with manager Max Allegri. Last season, he was eventually shipped out on a loan to a Leeds United team that did not choose to bring him back permanently.
It’s tough to say exactly what will happen with McKennie this season. When he’s on the pitch for the United States, Mckennie is a strong midfielder who does well getting into the box offensively. He has shown some of that promise during his time at Juventus but not nearly consistently enough.
McKennie also had a very strong preseason. He looked to be finding his form with the club and put together enough quality performances to convince Allegri that there might be a place for him on the roster after all.
Overall, McKennie is a good player for this club that can come off the bench if need be and bring some attacking prowess. He might not be the most technically gifted and he might take some time off during matches, but he has the potential to be a quality player in a midfield that has talent.
Locatelli, on the other hand, will probably see a lot of the pitch. After an initial season where he struggled to gel with the midfield, Locatelli really started to come along last year. It’s safe to say that outside of Adrien Rabiot, who will get his time to shine later, he was one of the more consistent players on the pitch.
Locatelli is a good playmaking midfielder. He does a good job distributing the ball in the regista role and contributes well defensively. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get most of the Serie A starts unless he picks up an injury.
Locatelli has the making of being a strong foundational piece for this club and should get as many minutes as possible to continue to grow in his game.