The 26-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, has already competed in the English top tier. He turned out for Leeds United, during their season that they were relegated, and failed to find the back of the net.
Yet Premier League scouts are expected to run their eye over McKennie during Juve’s Champions League play-off second leg at PSV Eindhoven, with team-mates Federico Gatti, Douglas Luiz and Dusan Vlahovic also being tracked by English teams.
Brazil midfielder Luiz, who only joined Juve last summer from Aston Villa for €50 million (US$52m), will be missing from the European tie because of muscle fatigue.
Exiled Serbia striker Vlahovic is expected to be benched, and seemed only likely to be brought on if forward Kolo Muani is man-marked out of the tie the Dutch League champions yet again.
McKennie, who came through the youth academy and first team at German club Schalke 04 before joining Juventus on a season-long loan in August 2020, has already recently turned down the opportunity to join Villa.
The Bianconeri’s first-ever player from the US cemented his place in the side when Massimiliano Allegri was boss, and signed a four-year contract in March 2021. The German Bundesliga team sold McKennie for what now seems like a bargain price of just €18.5m (US$19.25m).
McKennie’s 2021/22 season was halted by a metatarsal injury during February's Champions League 1-1 stalemate in Villareal. He was shipped out on loan to lowly Leeds almost a year later during the January transfer window, where he made 20 appearances and one goal assist.
He re-established himself as a regular starter under Allegri last term. McKennie has played a pivotal role under Motta, who views him as an important figure in his long-term project and pushed for the American international to extend his contract by a year last August.
Consistently impressive displays in various different positions have put a plethora of Premier League outfits on alert mode about making a potential bid for the Washington-born ace.
Motta is eager to tie versatile McKennie, who has even been employed as a makeshift left-back this term, to a further extension.
The Bianconeri have entered preliminary talks with him over a new contract until June 2028, with an improved salary of €3m (US$3.12m) per season tabled.
Premier League clubs scouts have recently attended matches at the Allianz Stadium in Turin to check out Luiz and Vlahovic, with McKennie and Gatti also catching their eye.
McKennie would command a price tag of around €41 million (US$42.75m). He is deemed to be a crucial part of Motta’s future plans and, unless the player wishes to leave, seems likely to fend off further interest from elite English clubs.