'Timothy flies!' - Manuel Locatelli backs 'good boy' Weah to make big impact at Juventus as he highlights USMNT star's blistering pace

• Weah joined for €12m
• Locatelli impressed by his start
• Serie A kicks off 19 August

WHAT HAPPENED? Speaking in a recent interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Locatelli — who signed permanently for Juventus from Sassuolo earlier this year — expressed excitement at the prospect of playing alongside Weah, who joined from Lille last month in a deal worth €12m (£10.3m/$13m). The USMNT winger has made a positive start to his time in Italy during pre-season, as Locatelli was keen to point out.

WHAT THEY SAID: "Timothy flies, when he runs he’s very fast," said Locatelli. "He integrated right away, he’s a guy who listens and this is very important: when you arrive at a new club and with a history like Juve’s you have to be good at learning from those who have been here for more time. We have to pass on Juve’s values to him, but he’s a good boy and will do well this year.” It's a glowing endorsement from a man who has played a key role in Turin in recent seasons, making 92 appearances over two loan spells before signing permanently from Sassuolo.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Juve have high hopes for the USMNT international, who has already notched 31 appearances and four goals for his country at the age of just 23. The son of the legendary Liberian former professional George Weah, Timothy will be keen to make his mark on Serie A in the same way that his father (a former AC Milan striker) did.

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WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS? Juve will have their eyes firmly fixed on the 2023-24 Serie A title. The Old Lady haven't won the league since the 2019-20 season, and the recent news that the club has been kicked out of Europe due to the ongoing financial scandal means domestic silverware is an absolute must. Weah could prove a key player in helping them achieve this goal.