Timothy Weah is taking the next step in his career trajectory, as Italian giants Juventus have signed the U.S. national team player from French club LOSC Lille.
The two clubs agreed on a reported transfer fee of €12.4m ($13.5m), which will see Weah move to Italy after spending his professional career in France to this point.
Weah, who had one season remaining on his Lille contract, is penning a five-year deal, which will see him in Italy through at least June 2028.
According to reports in Italy, the 23-year-old Weah projects to be the replacement for 35-year-old Colombian Juan Cuadrado, who has left Juve after his contract expired in June 2023. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri apparently plans to use Weah at Cuadrado's right wingback spot.
Timothy Weah has accepted all conditions of Juventus proposal. Five year deal agreed, salary also in place as the move is on the verge of being completed. ⚪️⚫️🇺🇸
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 23, 2023
Juventus and Lille, advancing on final agreement for €12m fee. pic.twitter.com/AZnIzuySHO
The Sporting News looks at why Weah's transfer to Juventus is the perfect deal for all parties involved.
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Tim Weah joins a perennial Champions League club
Weah joined LOSC Lille from PSG ahead of the 2019/20 season, spending four seasons with the Ligue 1 club. But during that time with Lille, he only played in the UEFA Champions League once. That should change in the five seasons coming up at Juventus.
The French side qualified for Europe's elite club competition in 2021/22 after surprisingly winning the Ligue 1 title the season before. Lille topped their Champions League group in that edition, but were immediately knocked out by Chelsea in the Round of 16. Weah made five appearances in that tournament.
Weah won't play Champions League football immediately, however. Juventus failed to qualify for the 2023/24 Champions League group stage after they were handed a 10-point deduction toward the end of their Serie A campaign for transfer irregularities. It is the first time that Juventus will not participate in the competition since 2010/11.
However, Juventus are expected to quickly get back to challenging for the Serie A title and occupying the top spots in Italy, where the best four finishers qualify for the Champions League.
The one-year absence from the competition gives the USMNT striker a season to adapt to his new surroundings before taking the next step and becoming a UCL regular.
Moving to a club with Juve's ambitions is the natural next step for Weah as he looks for more opportunities to showcase his talents on Europe's biggest stage.
Juventus get versatile speedster
Although Weah is considered to be an attacking player, he can provide versatility that Massimiliano Allegri will surely be looking for in a young player.
Weah has previously played in every position across the attacking front, primarily on the right wing. He has also featured in both full-back roles for Lille, putting his speed, endurance, and accelerations on full display.
Juventus is a team in transition, with many current players linked to moves away from the club, so a player with Weah's tactical flexibility will be ideal as they seek a new winning formula.
Weah has the ability to take over for Cuadrado, who has played on the wing or as a right-back, regularly pushing upfield to provide a new option in the attack. Weah's dribbling and daring will be reminiscent of Cuadrado's runs up and down the flank, and Weah's quickness will be an asset on the counter-attack, or when running in behind.
Juventus is desperate for an attacking jolt with only Roma (50 goals) having scored fewer goals than Juventus (56 goals) out of the top seven teams in the Italian table.
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LOSC Lille earn eight-figure transfer fee for role player
Lille have earned a reputation over the years for making intelligent transfers. They made large profits on players such as Nicolas Pepe and Victor Osimhen, while also earning good money from the sales of Sven Botman, Amadou Onana, and Rafael Leao.
Les Dogues signed Weah from PSG in 2019 for £8.54m ($10.9m), which means they will earn roughly 24 percent on their investment in the forward, based on reports citing the transfer fee to be paid by Juventus (€12.4m / $13.5m which includes €2m in performance add-ons).
Weah has largely been a role player for Lille over the past two seasons with stars like Jonathan David and midfielder Angel Gomes often garnering the headlines. In fact, Weah started just 22 of 41 matches (about 54 percent of matches) between Ligue 1 and Coupe de France matches this season.
Due to his more defensive positioning in 2022/23, featuring more often at fullback than at winger, Weah did not score any goals, and had just two assists.
Given that backdrop, the fee that Lille are receiving from Juventus and the profit made will certainly be seen as a win in northern France.