Gold reveals Paratici has "held talks" for £34m Spurs target, he's the next Kulusevski - opinion

Alasdair Gold has dropped a claim on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Weston McKennie.

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the journalist revealed that Fabio Paratici has already held talks with the Juventus midfielder’s representatives regarding a move for the 23-year-old in the summer transfer window, with further reports suggesting the Serie A side would demand a figure in the region of €40m (£34m) in order to part with the USA international.

In response to a question concerning Tottenham’s interest in the former Schalke starlet, Gold said: “Weston McKennie is someone Paratici is a big fan of and I reported back in January that he held talks that month with the player’s representatives about a potential summer move.

“I wouldn’t bet against him following up on that this summer but much depends on how willing Juventus are to let him go after a season in which he was a regular starter before suffering a metatarsal fracture in February which all but ended his campaign until the final match.”

Considering McKennie’s extremely impressive positional versatility, undoubted ability and potential for future growth – not to mention his previous relationship with Paratici – it is not difficult to understand why the Tottenham sporting director would be interested in a deal to bring the 23-year-old to north London this summer.

Indeed, with the signing of a forward-thinking central midfielder reported to be one of Antonio Conte’s priority targets ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, the £60m-rated American appears to be something of a perfect fit for the 52-year-old’s requirements.

According to FBref data, the £53k-per-week talent ranks in the top 14% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, as