Any examples? This doesn't ring true to me...but it's only a gut feeling. I have not tracked such things.
It was a consistent role: both wings are equivalent, as a withdrawn striker he did exactly the same he did as a winger, and he played left WINGback only twice, for minutes each time, which is once again a not too different role, coming through the side relying on speed and dribbling to score. McKennie has played completely unrelated roles: defensive CM, with a duty of covering the CBs, side mid with a duty to connect with the forwards, right back with a duty to defend the side, striker with a duty to score. It's apples and oranges.
The other way around: think of any example of a player who played widely differing roles yet managed a top transfer fee, in the modern game (i.e. not examples from the 00s).
Once again: you can have similar roles in different positions. Your role as a left winger is interchangeable with your role as a right winger. That's why I wrote position/role, it's the combination of the two that matters. McKennie is all over the place, being mainly a defensive player at times, mainly an attacking one at other times, and being a connector in midfield in other games. As a result, I don't see any interest in him anywhere at this point --the guy has been versatile enough to cover the holes as needed, but failed to look necessary in any position.
correlation does not equal causation. how many players are as versatile as wes? not many. i think his versatilty is a selling point...and not nearly as negative as many seem to make it out to be.
FWIW, Kicker has him as the #3 regular Schalke player, after Nübel and Fährmann: https://www.kicker.de/news/fussball...fc-schalke-04-2/topspieler-saison-verein.html The entire discussion doesn't have to do with Wes quality, but with his being wanted by other teams for a transfer. Teams go for players to fit into a system, and is harder to determine how to fit a player who lacks an established position/role in his team. Being the 3rd best player of Schalke, I'd expect some transfer rumors by now, better teams that want him. So far, nothing.
I didn’t bring the point to start with and I’m too lazy to research it. I was only hoping the point making entity would provide some examples of said point. Ain’t no table turning gonna happen here.
Wes should not be going anywhere. He hasn't been so impactful to draw EPL attention. Yet Schalke are still traditionally a very strong German team, and they consider him a building-block on the return to respectability. He's in a great place there. He should stay.
cot damn well i'll believe it when a bid comes in. sure i believe teams are scouting him but by "attention" i mean the type of offer that might pry him away from Schalke this offseason.
fwiw. Liverpool were reported interested a few month ago. Kimmich went for 10+ mill and Wes is getting plenty of attention and I am certain Schalke will get offers, whether they will take them or not...
I don't think the Liverpool interest was ever confirmed. Wes is still raw. I'm confident he will play in the EPL some day. But having watched most of his matches this year, I don't think he's ready yet. And I think most EPL scouts would see what I'm seeing.
I think people are seriously underrating his versatility being a selling suit. Right now I think he could be a starter for a mid-table EPL team (probably more rotational, but definitely 25 startsish) and definitely a starter for a bottom six team. But from the standpoint of a CL team, he's someone with an incredible work rate, that rarely has a terrible game. Put that in as a supersub/rotational player for a CL club with their busy fixture list and he becomes extremely attractive. 100 percent he wouldn't walk into let's say any of the top 6's lineups, but if one of them buys him it's 100 percent to be a plug a hole in the ship sub off the bench because that type of versatility is valuable. I agree with everyone else that right now he should focus on Schalke. Next year will tell us much more about his ceiling with more club stability, maybe a more defined role, as well as better talent around him. Schalke lost a TON last year in talent.
Mohamed Elneny had 2,300 minutes for Arsenal last season and about 900 minutes this season. I say with no hesitation at all that I would rather have McKennie there than Elneny because he's 1) a much better player and 2) useful all over the field. I wouldn't make a move like that now if I were advising McKennie, because he needs a season as a full-time starter, but I have no doubt that he would be a fine addition to a club like Arsenal.
That's my opinion too. I bet there is interest from other clubs, but I doubt anyone is offering the sort of cash that would make a traditionally bigger, reasonably successful club like Schalke really consider it. Next summer might be more of a difficult decision. Hopefully Wagner can get the team back to at least competing for European spots next year, and McKennie can shine in a more stable, successful team, garnering some serious transfer interest from clubs higher up the food chain. Alternatively, if Schalke stinks up the place again, I'd think about moving if I were him, since that might indicate that Schalke's management doesn't know what they're doing.
But you never know how a player is going to transition to a new club. Xhaka was one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga for seasons before Arsenal signed him and it has not completely worked out for him at Arsenal.
Xhaka's just a brain-dead looney toon, and we all knew that about him before he was signed. Anyway, I'm not doing the "oh he's good in one league, he'll be good in the other" thing. McKennie's game and versatility would translate well to the Premier League, particularly in a team that presses a lot.
Named to a U21 Team of the Week: https://www.whoscored.com/Articles/...zles-in-U21-XI-from-Europe’s-top-five-leagues
L'pool was interested in him in the winter break. Had he landed a fixed spot, and shown well enough in it, some EPL clubs would be circling him like vultures by now. I'm positive his getting moved around as an emergency plug affected negatively any interest big clubs may have had. Not that remaining in Schalke is a bad position, but it strikes me as somewhat precarious. They get some Italian manager who doesn't appreciate Yanks, and he's pushed to the bench to cover holes for the last 10 minutes in some games.
let's not forget how far Schalke went in the champions league....Weston being a key part (the best CL player for Schalke?)..... considering where they finished in the BL table that was pretty impressive and reflects very well on Wes, imo. i'd say that more than anything would lead a big club to go for him....
David #Wagner will be our head coach from next season.#s04 #SchalkeUS🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/EbZKctV8Wv— Schalke 04 USA🇺🇸 (@s04_us) May 9, 2019 Officially official