Weston McKennie to leave Juventus: Contract decision made as MLS clubs circle

Tom Weber

• 6 Jan 2026 13:30 CST
• 3 min read

News

Weston McKennie will not receive a Juventus contract extension and could be on his way back to the United States, having come through the FC Dallas academy.

The 27-year-old's future has been the subject of speculation for years. Juventus have at various times tried to force McKennie out of the club, but only once were they successful when he joined Leeds on loan in 2022/23.

The American midfielder remains on the books in Turin, but his chapter with the Old Lady will come to an end in the summer. His contract is expiring, and Juventus have no interest in renewing his deal.

Sky Italia journalist Valentina Mariani has revealed that Juventus are not even considering the possibility of opening talks with McKennie over fresh terms.

"There's central midfielder McKennie, but he won't renew his contract," Mariani explained. "Juventus aren't even discussing this possibility. His and [Dusan] Vlahovic's contracts expire in June."

McKennie could move to MLS

Now that the January window is open, McKennie is able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with suitors, and he will certainly have options in Europe. The American previously rejected interest from Major League Soccer to remain on this side of the pond.

However, the appreciation from MLS for the FC Dallas homegrown - who never made a senior appearance for the franchise - remains. In September and October, reports coming out of Italy confirmed that several US clubs had begun testing the waters over a move again.

McKennie, it was claimed, could be more receptive to a return home at this stage of his career. Naturally, Dallas would have a clear advantage as they still own his rights despite the fact that he only played in their academy.

It is one of the quirks of MLS that they automatically attained his rights because they offered him a homegrown contract even though he didn't actually sign it. However, this does not preclude a move elsewhere; it only means that other MLS suitors would have to trade with Dallas first.

McKennie would almost certainly be a Designated Player in MLS, meaning that he would sit outside of the salary cap. The fact that no transfer fee would be required to sign him allows MLS clubs to offer him a bigger salary than they were previously able to.

With a World Cup on home soil on the horizon, now might be the right time for McKennie to play in MLS for the first time in his career.

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