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GOAL takes a look at how the American star could be used by the Serie A giants, with his $13m move to Turin now having been agreed upon.
If you need any more evidence that Tim Weah needs to be a starter on the wing for the United States men's national team, just look at the Nations League. Forget about the World Cup goal even, another perfect example, and just look at these two most recent games. Weah's ability to get to the line and make defenders uncomfortable remains vital to the USMNT's style of play. He simply does that better than anyone else in this player pool.
And that's what makes his proposed $13m move to Juventus so interesting. While he's a completely indispensable winger for the USMNT, Weah looks set to join a club that has rarely used wide players as pure wingers. Juventus, for years, haven't played with out-and-out wingers, instead leaning on wing-backs with a different set of skills. On the surface, that doesn't make much sense for Weah, does it? Moving to a club to play out of position? It seems like a weird one, for sure.
But, in this case, it isn't. Weah's proposed move to Juventus does make a lot of sense. The Italian giants are an obvious step up from Lille, even with the Bianconeri's recent issues, and the position that will be waiting for Weah is perhaps one perfectly designed to maximize his skillset. It's one he's familiar with and seemingly open to playing, even if it is a bit different than the one he'll play with the USMNT. It's a big move, for sure, for the player, for the club and for the national team, and it's of course one that comes with risks. But, for Weah, it seems like one that will put him in a good place to succeed.
Despite Lille's miracle Ligue 1 triumph in 2021, Juventus is an obvious step up the European ladder for Weah. This is Italy's biggest club, after all. It's still a club that commands enormous respect. That all comes with a caveat, of course. Their recent punishment, which saw them docked points for violating financial rules, has knocked them down a peg. Meanwhile, the rest of Serie A has seemingly taken a massive step forward, with the likes of AC Milan, Inter and Napoli no longer their doormats to be stepped on.
Weah, meanwhile, has a deep connection with Serie A. His father, the legendary George Weah, was a superstar at AC Milan, where he became the only ever African player to win the Ballon d'Or. Weah has admitted that he's long been a Milan fan, even if he is now about to join their rivals.
Milan gave everything to my father, he told MilanNews.it. We have a great relationship with the city of Milan. Compared to my brother and sister, I wasn't born yet when my father played for Milan, but his Rossoneri story is incredible and his past with Milan is fantastic. Milan is a great club, it's the story of my family. I'm happy with what he's done.
He added: Of course, I'd like to retrace my dad's footsteps. It would be something great to play for Milan. I'll keep going on my way and then we'll see. And while won't be following his father to San Siro, but Juventus remain arguably a step up from the Rossoneri, even in their weakened state.
For years, Juventus, and Italian teams in general, has been known for playing three (or five) at the back. And few are more well-known for a tactical system than Juve with the 3-5-2. Massimiliano Allegri, the team's current coach, has been one of their more flexible in recent years, having shown the ability to switch things up depending on the squad he has at his disposal, but heading into the new season, reports out of Italy say the 3-5-2 will be the way going forward.
Much will depend on the next few months, of course, as transfers will determine the who is available to Allegri. Angel Di Maria is already gone, with the futures of players like Federico Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot up in the air. However, it's the potential departure of one player, Juan Cuadrado, that brings us back to Weah, as the Colombian's time at Juventus offers us the best glimpse at what life could be like for the Bianconeri's new arrival.
Source: goal
