Weston McKennie joins Juventus on loan from Schalke, becomes first American player at Serie A club

It’s official: Midfielder Weston McKennie has become the first American player at Juventus.

The nine-time defending Serie A champion posted photos of McKennie’s arrival in Turin on Thursday ahead of the expected loan from German club Schalke.

Late Saturday, Juventus confirmed the move and said the American “enjoys a belated birthday present with a move to the Bianconeri." McKennie’s 22nd birthday was Friday.

It added: “Juventus Football Club announces that an agreement with FC Gelsenkirchen Schalke for the temporary acquisition, until 30 June 2021, of the registration rights of the player Weston McKennie has been finalized for a consideration of 4.5 million euros ($5.35 million)."

📹 An American dream come true for @WMckennie 💭

WATCH the full interview on @JuventusTV ➡️ https://t.co/EvCcUc0ubp#WelcomeWeston #ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/nJ7cEE6W2g

— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) August 29, 2020

McKennie can play any of the midfield positions, which makes him a flexible option for new Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo. McKennie started playing football while spending part of his childhood in Germany.

Other American-born players in Serie A have included Alexi Lalas, Giuseppe Rossi, Michael Bradley and Oguchi Onyewu.