Kenan Yildiz in action for Juventus against Udinese (Photo by Chris Ricco/Getty Images)
Arsenal have identified Juventus left winger Kenan Yildiz as an ideal transfer target for that position, sources close to the situation have told CaughtOffside.
Yildiz finished the 2024/25 season with ten goals and six assists in all competitions for club and country, playing mostly on the left-hand side, but also occasionally in the centre and on the right.
Senior figures in the industry have informed CaughtOffside that Arsenal are now looking at Yildiz due to the influence of Matteo Tognozzi.
The Turkey international was discovered by Tognozzi when he was at Juventus, and he’s now set to join Arsenal to work under new sporting director Andrea Berta.
Kenan Yildiz could be a Nico Williams alternative for Arsenal
Tognozzi could push Arsenal towards Yildiz as an alternative to some other winger targets, with issues emerging in the pursuit of Nico Williams.
Sky Sports have been among the outlets to link Arsenal with Williams, but sources have told CaughtOffside that the Spain international’s wage demands could be too high.
One source with links to the player’s entourage told CaughtOffside: “Nico Williams has high salary demands. He is asking for around €18m per season, a figure that does not fit with Arsenal’s current wage structure. Although his release clause of €58 million is seen as reasonable, due to the salary demand being too high, Arsenal are now exploring different options.”
The same source stated that Yildiz is someone who has come into the picture, though it was also stressed that the 20-year-old is in talks with Juventus over a new contract.
“Arsenal value Yildiz highly but would prefer to keep the total cost close to €60m,” the source said. “At the same time, Juventus have started discussions with Yildiz’s camp for a contract renewal until 2030”
Kenan Yildiz to cost €80m
Two sources confirmed that Yildiz would likely cost €80m, though other figures with a closer understanding of Juventus’ stance state that the Serie A giants simply don’t want to sell him at all.
One imagines it will become clearer soon if this is a realistic deal for Arsenal, but fans will no doubt hope this exciting young talent can make his way to the Emirates Stadium.
As the graphic above shows, Yildiz isn’t necessarily ahead of Arsenal’s current left wingers in every department, but it’s pretty close.
Yildiz is also a lot younger, so has the potential to improve further with the right coaching and with better players around him.
Arsenal tend to dominate games and create more chances than Juventus, who were disappointing for a lot of last season, with Yildiz still managing to stand out as a bright spark in their side.
Crucially, Yildiz is more of a dribbler than Martinelli and Trossard, so that could give Arsenal a new kind of threat on that left flank if he were to come in.
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