US men's national team midfielder and former FC Dallas academy product Weston McKennie appears likely to leave the Bundesliga's Schalke 04 f or a destination in the English Premier League, according to several reports.
Which club secures the transfer is less clear, with reports suggesting Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton, Everton and Newcastle United are all in the mix for the 21-year-old, who is under contract at Schalke through 2024.
Most outlets have the proposed fee around £20 million, which comes out to $26 million. The English primary transfer window opened on July 27 and closes on October 5, in an adjustment based on the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the European schedule.
On Friday, The Daily Express of London reported on Friday that Southampton were in the lead for McKennie, though that depends on Southampton being able to negotiate an outgoing move that would send Pierre-Emile-Hojberg to EPL rivals Tottenham.
Earlier in the week, The Leicester Mercury reported that both Leicester and Wolves were among the front-runners as the only two EPL clubs involved that could immediately offer Europa League competition.
Stateside, NBC's ProSoccerTalk has confirmed a move to England is a high priority to McKennie's camp, and also indicated that Schalke are in a financial situation that could compel them to sell several assets sooner than later.
McKennie joined Schalke from Dallas' youth setup in 2016 and has contributed regularly at the Bundesliga the last three seasons. The recently concluded 2019-20 campaign was his most consistent, with the midfielder making 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and contributing an assist.
