McKennie To Roma And Cristante To Juventus? Inside The Swap Proposal And The Roadblocks
It'll soon be crunch time for both players.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 19 December 2025
Juventus and Roma are reportedly weighing up a potential midfield swap involving Weston McKennie and Bryan Cristante.
Juventus like Bryan Cristante while Roma are keen on Weston McKennie
With McKennie’s Juventus contract expiring in 2026 and Cristante’s Roma deal running out in 2027, crunch time is approaching for both players.
According to Tuttosport, Juve CEO Damien Comolli has a big decision to make regarding McKennie.
Juve boss Luciano Spalletti likes McKennie and is apparently eager to extend his contract at the Allianz Stadium.
However, Comolli must reportedly decide whether to accept a renewal framework worth €3.6 million plus bonuses through 2029.
With that in mind, Tuttosport say Comolli is monitoring Cristante’s contract situation, with a view to a potential future move.
Cristante is a regular under Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who previously worked with him at Atalanta.
However, his deal only runs until June 2027 and talks over an extension do not appear to have progressed.
Roma reportedly want to lower their wage bill and refresh the midfield, while Cristante feels he is at his peak.
Cristante turns 31 in March and earns almost €3 million a year, factors Roma will weigh at season’s end.
Comolli’s good relationship with Cristante’s agent, Beppe Riso, could keep channels open ahead of summer discussions.
As for McKennie, Gian Piero Gasperini had already requested him in the summer.
The Roma boss is keen on McKennie, a versatile and high-quality player capable of covering multiple positions.
Elsewhere, Roma are eyeing new strikers to strengthen their attacking ranks.
The roadblocks
As mentioned above, Spalletti is eager to keep McKennie at Juve. This could prove a stumbling block for both Comolli and Roma.
At the same time, McKennie has interest from Milan, as coach Max Allegri is reportedly a big fan of the USMNT midfielder.
In addition, the American’s agents are sounding out English Premier League clubs for their client.
McKennie reportedly feels he has unfinished business in England, having previously played for a struggling Leeds United side.
With regards to Cristante, RomaPress has reported that Roma would prefer to trade Lorenzo Pellegrini rather than Cristante.
Whereas Cristante’s contract expires in 2027, the Giallorossi captain is out of contract next summer.
However, Pellegrini is not of interest to Juventus, added the report.
For now, all sides appear to be watching contract talks, with any swap more likely in summer than January.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
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