Liverpool are weighing up a move for £20million-rated Schalke midfielder Weston McKennie.
The American, 20, is one of the Bundesliga’s rising stars and, according to reports, Jurgen Klopp has sent scouts to watch the young midfielder.
Since joining Schalke from Dallas Juniors in 2016, he has racked up 45 first-team appearances and an impressive string of performances this season has alerted Europe’s top clubs.
Here, talkSPORT.com takes a look at what all the fuss is about…
Who is Weston McKennie?
After deciding to go professional in 2016, McKennie rejected the chance to sign for Dallas as a homegrown player and instead joined Schalke.
He was quickly promoted to their first-team after spending less than a year in the academy and, in May 2017, he made his professional debut in a 1-1 draw with FC Ingolstadt.
Since then, he’s gone from strength-to-strength, making 25 appearances in all competitions last season and becoming a regular this term.
For the United States, he earned his first senior call-up for a friendly against Portugal in November 2017 and scored on his debut.
Playing style
McKennie has described his style as ‘win the ball and look to play it’ – and Liverpool are not short of those kind of players.
He would likely rival Jordan Henderson and Fabinho for a place in the heart of Liverpool’s midfield, providing an engine and recycling possession.
However, McKennie is versatile – he’s played in a back three for Schalke, and the United States have deployed him in a more attacking role.