Timothy Weah will follow in the footsteps of his legendary father George by moving to Serie A, but the pair do differ somewhat in terms of their playing styles.
The USMNT star's dad famously became the first - and so far only - African player to date to win the illustrious Ballon d'Or in 1995 during a glittering five year stay at AC Milan. The former forward, who now serves of the president of his homeland Liberia, helped the Rossoneri to two Serie A titles, while also picking up the African Player of the Year award on three occasions.
Now his son has become the second family member to join a bona fide Italian giant, with the 23-year-old ace having swapped Ligue 1 outfit Lille for Juventus. The Brooklyn-born star has earned a reputation as a burgeoning talent since emerging at Paris Saint-Germain, before establishing himself at Lille where he played 107 times, scoring on eight occasions.
The former Celtic loanee has certainly demonstrated outstanding potential for a number of years now, with his attacking prowess as well as his physical attributes earmarking him as a star of the future. In the past season, Weah Jr has occupied a wing-back role for the French club, making 28 appearances in the position in what looks to be his final season at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Of course, his skillset is very different to that of his iconic dad — a free-scoring attacker — with the US international more known for his assists than his goals. Very much the prototype for the modern striker, Weah Sr was more comfortable leading the line than as a member of the supporting cast.
With eight goals and eight assists during his four years at Lille, it is clear that his qualities will be suited to playing out wide in Massimiliano Allegri's system, with is ability to maraud forward intermittently making him a unique asset. In this vein, the Old Lady will be purchasing a player who will fill in at wing-back as well as the left-wing/
His father will be delighted that Juventus have identified the youngster as a potential long-term replacement for veterans Juan Cuadrado and Angel di Maria, with the former Manchester City player having openly declared his love for the Turin giants in the past. He previously told L’Equipe: "Juventus have been my favourite team since I was a child.
"In Liberia I used to play in a Juventus shirt. It was because of Michel Platini, who made me fall in love with those colours. When I then met him I couldn't stop smiling."
He added that he wished he had played for the famous Serie A club during his career, saying: "I have Juve in my blood. I really wanted to play for them but I never managed to do it. If I could have chosen, I would have chosen Juve and not PSG after my time at Monaco."
The departing Ligue 1 talent has signed Juventus for approximately £10 million and will join the club after playing his part in his country's CONCACAF Nations League triumph. The success, which saw the USMNT beat Canada 2-0 in the final, was his second for the team following a previous win in 2020.
The record Serie A champions swooped in to complete the deal and it seems that the prospect of welcoming Weah to Allianz Stadium has inspired some considerable fanfare. As the American ace arrived to complete his medical, he was greeted by hoards of supporters hoping to catch a glimpse of the club's newest recruit.
Signing autographs for the fans who had gathered at the club's medical centre, he was then whisked away to complete his tests ahead of his switch to the Turin giants. Now, the Bianconeri has announced that Weah has official signed on the dotted line for his new employers.
In a statement released to the press, the club welcomed its new signing saying: "Timothy Weah has officially become a Juventus player. The American arrives on a permanent deal from Lille."
