Juventus' only recruit of the summer (if we do not count the exercised purchase options) Timothy Weah came to strengthen the right lane of the Turin club. At 23 years old and after an encouraging exercise in Lille, the player trained at Paris Saint-Germain and son of George Weah, Ballon d'Or 1995, took the plunge into a major club. Versatile, he had played as a center forward, a winger on both sides and a full-back on both sides during his northern adventure. It was therefore with this Swiss army knife status that he arrived in Piedmont. While his father had worn the AC Milan jersey between 1995 and 2000, it was another Italian giant that Timothy Weah joined with big ambitions. “The time my father spent in Milan is part of my family's history, it was a very important period. Now his son also has the chance to play in Serie A, to play in one of the most important clubs. That's wonderful. And it's also one of his favorite teams, he's a big fan of Juventus. This made my choice easier“, he explained upon his arrival.
With his versatility, Timothy Weah believed that this plurality of options he brings would work in his favor and that of the team: “I am a very explosive player who likes to run, cross and give assists. I think I will be at my best with my teammates. I hope I can help them score a lot of goals. I am a hard worker and will work hard for the team. I have a favorite role, which is that of low piston. I think I will play there, it's a new role for me, but I really like it. I played as a striker and on the wing, I think that will help me a lot. I’m ready to play wherever the coach puts me.” And the beginnings were promising. Positioned on the right side in Massimiliano Allegri's 3-5-2, he stood out from the start in preparation with an achievement and the title of best player of the match against Real Madrid (3-1). Enough to enjoy its express adaptation after the game: “I'm happy, it was a magnificent victory. It was a difficult match, but it's wonderful to play these matches. We played good ball, we fought and we worked hard to achieve this result. We wanted to win and we succeeded, we are happy. Weston's assist and MVP award? I am very happy.”
Andrea Cambiaso takes over
His teammate Wojciech Szczesny did not fail to praise his performance: “Weah? It has a big engine, it revs a lot and has a lot of energy. I'm happy for him.” Coach Massimiliano Allegri was also enthusiastic: “Weah was a little more tired, but he is a boy who has good qualities and who will be very useful to the team.” While the beginnings were encouraging for the American, this did not translate over time. Aligned 26 times for 1 small goal in the Italian Cup and an offering against AC Milan last October, Timothy Weah lacks efficiency and edge with the Italian club. However, if he plays every time he is fit (he suffered an injury which caused him to miss 5 matches and slowed him down between mid-October and mid-November), his playing time remains quite low with an average of minutes played less than 38. This has even declined significantly over the last five matches (15.8 minutes to his credit over this period). In his right lane, it is Andrea Cambiaso (24 years old) who is gaining the upper hand. Much more effective and valuable in offensive participation (3 goals and 4 goals in 28 games), he was able to bring more impact during his playing time.
So certainly, the Italian club had difficulty getting the best out of its pistons like the complicated exercises of Filip Kostic or even Samuel Iling-Junior. In addition, Timothy Weah's positioning raises questions. Aligned as a right piston, a position already occupied in Lille, he finds it more difficult to highlight his offensive qualities. Having to take on more defensive tasks, he is currently unable to put his best face forward with the transalpine club. A different role from the one he has in the selection with the United States where he plays as a right winger in a 4-3-3 with Yunus Musah and Joe Scally to cover his back. More liberated, he again showed a nice performance this Sunday during the 2-0 victory against Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League final. Good news for Timothy Weah who was able to regain a bit of confidence before the end of the season with Juventus where he will have to reverse the trend. Under contract until June 2028 with Juventus, Timothy Weah still has time to catch up, but his credit is slowly decreasing…
