Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie would be a statement signing for Aston Villa if they manage to land him this month, believes journalist Conor Clancy.
The Midlands club have already signed Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona, and Clancy thinks they can steal more headlines by snapping up McKennie.
What is the latest news involving McKennie?
McKennie's future at Juventus looks to be in doubt, with Calciomercato reporting last month that the Serie A outfit are willing to cash in on him if an "important" offer arrives.
According to the same report, a bid of around €35m (£29m) is what Juventus would deem as an important offer.
The Sun claimed back in October that Villa were ready to join West Ham and Tottenham in the race to sign McKennie once the winter transfer window opened, while The Athletic initially reported in 2020 that the 23-year-old was a player on the club's radar.
With Villa's interest stretching that far back, it would not be a surprise if they did end up making a bid before the end of the month.
What has Clancy said about McKennie to Villa?
Clancy thinks Villa would be getting more than just a footballer in McKennie because of his stature in America.
When asked by GIVEMESPORT if the USA international would be a statement signing for Villa, the Forza Italian Football editor-in-chief said: "I think so because Weston McKennie, when you sign him, you sign more than just a footballer, you sign an American footballer.
"We saw the impact he had here when he came to Italy - American people love Weston McKennie."
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Will Villa end up signing McKennie?
It is hard to say. As things stand, while McKennie is clearly someone Villa like, he does not seem to be on the top of their list.
Rather, Brighton's Yves Bissouma looks like the man they really want. According to Sky Sports, the Villans are interested in signing the Mali international as he enters the final 18 months of his contract.
Getting a deal done this month, though, looks extremely difficult, with Brighton manager Graham Potter recently stating that he expects to keep hold of all of his players in this transfer window. Considering that, you can see a situation where Villa quickly turn their attention to McKennie and try to get something done.
And unlike Bissouma, the former Schalke man certainly does look attainable, so this is one you definitely would not rule out.