Ale Moreno has cautioned that McKennie may be making a mistake by signing with Leeds United instead of the Gunners

Weston McKennie is reportedly being courted by Arsenal, but Ale Moreno has cautioned that McKennie may be making a mistake by signing with Leeds United instead of the Gunners. If Leeds can complete a deal with Juventus for the midfielder, he would join other American internationals Jesse Marsch, Tyler Adams, and Brendan Aaronson in Yorkshire.

The Serie A powerhouses are mired in controversy both on and off the field. They had 15 points deducted from their total. They are in a financial muddle that may prevent them from playing in the Champions League next season.

Even though McKennie isn’t one of their most valuable assets, he is still a very good player who may be headed to the Premier League with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. If he comes to Yorkshire, he may find himself in the thick of a Premier League championship fight or possibly a relegation struggle.

That’s why Moreno, a former striker, doesn’t understand why McKennie would want to join Leeds this month.

“It’s the United States of Leeds, it’s what is becoming,” said Moreno. 

“If you are Weston McKennie, regardless of the mess that is currently going on at Juventus, it’s still one of the most recognisable brands in European football. You are going to a team that’s fighting to stay up because that’s the picture of where Leeds United are right now. So, you are going to go from Juventus, a recognisable brand in Europe, to Leeds. To fight against relegation? I don’t know how messy of a mess it is in Juventus. But I would rather stay in that mess than go into a mess with a team that could go down, that’s my perspective from a player. I would stay at Juventus. Try to figure and fight it out here up until I have something better lined up. Leeds is a move downwards from Juventus,” he said.

This is a player who, up until recently, was contributing to one of Europe’s premier clubs and playing in the Champions League. A move to Leeds from a club like Arsenal or another contending towards the top of the league would be a major coup for the struggling side. Sure, the club’s prospects of staying afloat improve, and Marsch may even start an all-American midfield in the English Premier League, but that’s not the point.