GOAL takes a look at how the American star could be used by the Serie A giants, with his $13m move to Turin now having been agreed upon
If you need any more evidence that Tim Weah needs to be a starter on the wing for the United States men's national team, just look at the Nations League. Forget about the World Cup goal even, another perfect example, and just look at these two most recent games. Weah's ability to get to the line and make defenders uncomfortable remains vital to the USMNT's style of play. He simply does that better than anyone else in this player pool.
And that's what makes his $12m move to Juventus so interesting. While he's a completely indispensable winger for the USMNT, Weah is joining a club that has rarely used wide players as pure wingers. Juventus, for years, haven't played with out-and-out wingers, instead leaning on wing-backs with a different set of skills.
On the surface, that doesn't make much sense for Weah, does it? Moving to a club to play out of position? It seems like a weird one, for sure.
But, in this case, it isn't. Weah's move to Juventus does make a lot of sense. The Italian giants are an obvious step up from Lille, even with the Bianconeri's recent issues, and the position that will be waiting for Weah is perhaps one perfectly designed to maximize his skillset. It's one he's familiar with and seemingly open to playing, even if it is a bit different than the one he'll play with the USMNT.
It's a big move, for sure, for the player, for the club and for the national team, and it's of course one that comes with risks. But, for Weah, it seems like one that will put him in a good place to succeed.
GettyA step up the ladder
Despite Lille's miracle Ligue 1 triumph in 2021, Juventus is an obvious step up the European ladder for Weah. This is Italy's biggest club, after all. It's still a club that commands enormous respect.
That all comes with a caveat, of course. Their recent punishment, which saw them docked points for violating financial rules, has knocked them down a peg. Meanwhile, the rest of Serie A has seemingly taken a massive step forward, with the likes of AC Milan, Inter and Napoli no longer their doormats to be stepped on.
Weah, meanwhile, has a deep connection with Serie A. His father, the legendary George Weah, was a superstar at AC Milan, where he became the only ever African player to win the Ballon d'Or. Weah has admitted that he's long been a Milan fan, even if he is now about to join their rivals.
"Milan gave everything to my father," he told . "We have a great relationship with the city of Milan. Compared to my brother and sister, I wasn't born yet when my father played for Milan, but his Rossoneri story is incredible and his past with Milan is fantastic. Milan is a great club, it's the story of my family. I'm happy with what he's done."
He added: "Of course, I'd like to retrace my dad's footsteps. It would be something great to play for Milan. I'll keep going on my way and then we'll see." And while he won't be following his father to San Siro, Juventus remain arguably a step up from the Rossoneri, even in their weakened state.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesAllegri-ball
For years, Juventus, and Italian teams in general, has been known for playing three (or five) at the back. And few are more well-known for a tactical system than Juve with the 3-5-2.
Massimiliano Allegri, the team's current coach, has been one of their more flexible in recent years, having shown the ability to switch things up depending on the squad he has at his disposal, but heading into the new season, reports out of Italy say the 3-5-2 will be the way going forward.
Much will depend on the next few months, of course, as transfers will determine the who is available to Allegri. Angel Di Maria is already gone, with the futures of players like Federico Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot up in the air.
However, it's the departure of one player, Juan Cuadrado, that brings us back to Weah, as the Colombian's time at Juventus offers us the best glimpse at what life could be like for the Bianconeri's new arrival.
Getty ImagesThe Cuadrado role
Few players in recent years have been better servants to Juventus than Cuadrado. It's a club known for producing, and keeping, stars, and Cuadrado has been as loyal as any.
He made over 300 appearances for Juve, having originally joined as a winger after a failed stint at Chelsea. A fantastic dribbler blessed with pace, Cuadrado was often deployed as a right wing-back during his time at Juventus, playing in that position under Allegri, Maurizio Sarri and Andrea Pirlo.
At wing-back, Cuadrado was asked to use his pace and flair to beat opponents before delivering balls into the box. The role, of course, calls for defensive responsibilities as well, but Cuadrado has never been known as a pure defender, even though he improved plenty over the years.
A pacey player with the ability to beat a man one-on-one before finding a team-mate in the box – sound familiar? It's something Weah does exceptionally well, and something he showed he could do at Lille during a spell at wing-back that served as something of an audition for this big move.
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GettyPlaying at wing-back
The initial decision set off alarm bells in America. Facing an injury crisis, Lille manager Paulo Fonseca turned to Weah to play as a left wing-back. Weah, to his credit, never missed a beat. He played multiple matches as both a left and right wing-back and, despite some early growing pains, he impressed in the role.
"I continue to learn. I do everything I can for the team," he said back in February. "I personally watch left-back videos like Marcelo. I'm still in the learning phase defensively… I'm starting to show that I'm capable of playing in this position. I'm happy that the team trusts me and I try to give back to them."
To Fonseca's credit, he probably stumbled into quite a solution. Despite what his World Cup goal against Wales would have you believe, Weah has never been particularly prolific in front of goal on the club level. He has just eight goals in 107 games for Lille, a rough return for an attack-minded winger.
What he does do, though, is cause danger and, in the modern game, that is one of the big responsibilities of wing-backs and full-backs. The position has changed massively in recent years, with Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson partly responsible for redefining how a full-back duo can play. Attacking full-backs like Roberto Carlos and Marcelo have always had a place, but the position has changed even more in recent years.
Because of that, Weah is someone that seemingly fits the mold of a prototypical modern full-back. In prior years, he'd be an out-and-out winger, but that has fallen somewhat out of fashion. Wingers tend to cut inside more, with full-backs asked to provide width, which is exactly what Weah does.
And, for a Juventus team bracing to lose their starting right wing-back, Weah is seemingly an affordable answer with high upside, both on and off the field.