Weston McKennie has defended his friend Moise Kean, who is currently thriving at Fiorentina, suggesting the striker was unfairly treated during his previous spell at Juventus.
Kean endured a difficult time at Juventus last season, struggling to find consistency and failing to score a single goal. However, he has rediscovered his form in Florence, scoring regularly under the guidance of Vincenzo Italiano.
McKennie, who remains close friends with Kean, explained in an interview with CBS Sports: “I’m not surprised by Kean’s success at Fiorentina. I spoke to him on the phone before his recent Coppa Italia match.
‘He has all the attributes of a top striker – he’s strong, fast, skillful, and possesses all the tools to succeed at the highest level. He simply needed a coach who believed in him, gave him consistent playing time, and helped him unlock his full potential.
“I’m not surprised at all that he’s having this kind of season. I told him I hope he continues to thrive because he deserves it. When he was at Juventus, there were many people who doubted him and even criticized him.
“It was a bit unfair. People expect strikers to score goals, but it’s incredibly difficult to do that when you’re only given limited playing time, often coming on as a late substitute.”
McKennie also discussed Juventus’s struggles this season under Thiago Motta: “It’s difficult to say that any of us are feeling particularly positive right now. While we are unbeaten in the league, many of those games have ended in draws, which doesn’t feel like true progress.
“We’re all trying to identify what’s missing or what we’re not doing correctly. In Italian, we say ‘our concentration, our mentality.’
“To become the dominant force Juventus strives to be, we need to maintain the high standards we set against top teams like Manchester City when we face lesser opponents like Venezia. This has been a challenge for us this season, and we need to address it quickly if we want to turn things around and achieve our goals.”
McKennie has been a key player for Juventus this season, despite facing initial uncertainty regarding his future. He has made 15 appearances, contributing three goals and two assists, including a spectacular strike against Manchester City in the Champions League.
