Tottenham Hotspur could form an impressive midfield unit by signing USA's World Cup star Weston McKennie, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Antonio Conte's side have regularly been linked with a move for the Juventus midfielder in recent windows and ahead of January, those links just won't disappear.

Last month, Italian outlet Calciomercato suggested that the Lilywhites would reignite their interest in the 24-year-old at the turn of the year and then more recently, they also claimed that the Old Lady were open to selling the former Fabio Paratici signing for around £26m in a bid to fund other arrivals.

Now with the door seemingly open to strike this winter, the reliable reporter has suggested that McKennie - alongside his former Juve teammate Rodrigo Bentancur - would be a partnership that Conte would really love to have at his disposal.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said:

"On paper, that would have the makings of a good midfield.

"Both have got good energy and good stamina, something that obviously Antonio Conte wants in his players. I think they do have the makings of a good midfield, whether that might mean Bentancur playing his more preferred defensive role, which he does for Uruguay, and maybe McKennie playing a bit further forward.

"Both players would definitely fit the profile of the type of midfielders that Conte likes."

Indeed, McKennie and Bentancur could be a force to be reckoned with as the pair are enjoying the 2022/23 campaign in their own right. As we've seen with the Uruguay machine, he's capable of getting up the pitch with his mazy runs, resulting in an eye-catching return of five goals and two assists.

But for the American enforcer, things have been a little more low-key until now, having excelled across USA's three group games in Qatar. McKennie has been an integral starter for the Stars and Stripes, including a particularly glowing display against England - a game which ended 0-0.

"Main winner so far tonight is Juventus, who will be getting ready to sell Weston McKennie to England in January. He should have scored, but he's been exceptional so far," claimed The Times' Rory Smith during the game, whilst Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher called him "excellent" on Twitter, too.

The bit-part Juventus man - who Andrea Pirlo once hailed as a "rock" -  is also capable of playing a multitude of different engine room roles and that'll be of great use to Conte, who has changed between a two- and three-man midfield at times.

That versatility to allow greater tactical flexibility is another way that the Italian head coach is able to strike fear into the opposition as any given week, they will not know how a key part of the side will look, so signing McKennie would certainly have its benefits.

As such, Paratici must look to bring his former player - who was once dubbed an "engine" and "very versatile" by football.london's Alasdair Gold - to Hotspur Way in January.

Just like with Bentancur, a £26m fee could prove to be a bargain, despite his seeming struggles in the Serie A. Both the Uruguayan and American would undoubtedly be a frightening engine in the heart of the pitch for Spurs.