Arsenal have been tipped to lead the race for Kenan Yildiz if Juventus open the door next summer, with Tottenham also in the picture and a valuation of around €150 million (£125.4m) attached to the Turkey international.
The claim comes from Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio, who told wettfreunde.net that the Old Lady are under pressure to raise money. Yildiz is not an option right now, though. The 21-year-old is recovering from surgery on a broken foot, so any move would be a 2027 story rather than a January one.
Arsenal are expected to be active in both of the next two windows. Fabrizio Romano said last month that the club are still looking at strikers, with a signing possible in January or next summer, and that a new right-back could come into the conversation in summer 2027 unless a big name becomes available sooner.
Why Juventus could cash in on Kenan Yildiz
According to Di Marzio, Juventus must either sell one player or raise €70-80 million (£58.5m-£66.9m) on the transfer market. They can get there by selling three or four players together, or by selling just one.
The pressure comes from UEFA. Juventus signed a three-year settlement agreement on 30 June after failing to meet UEFA’s football earnings rule for 2022/23 to 2024/25. They were fined €6 million straight away, with a further €14 million payable only if they miss the agreed targets.
Di Marzio also pointed to a telling piece of business. Juventus signed Kerim Alajbegovic for the same position and role “because they’re preparing for the possibility of Yildiz leaving.” The 18-year-old joined from Bayer Leverkusen in August on a five-year contract.
Advantage Arsenal over Spurs?
Arsenal and Tottenham both asked Juventus about the price in the summer, and Di Marzio said they were ready to offer more than €100 million (£83.6m) if the Italian club opened the door. They did not. Tuttosport reported in June that the ownership had blocked a summer departure, and Juventus have shown no willingness to sell so far.
Should that change, Di Marzio expects a valuation of around €150 million and believes Arsenal are among the most interested clubs and will lead the race. Sports Mole adds that Real Madrid and Manchester United have also been linked with the forward ahead of the 2027 windows.
For context, Arsenal’s club-record fee is the £105 million paid for Declan Rice in 2023. A deal at £125m would smash that, which tells you how highly Yildiz is rated in N5. It’s not a new interest, either: the Gunners were weighing up the Turk back in August, when Arteta and Andrea Berta were reported to be split over which attacker to chase.
Kenan Yildiz injury rules out a January move
Di Marzio was clear that Yildiz is not an option now because of injury. He had surgery on a fractured fifth metatarsal in his left foot at the end of August, and Juventus are targeting an early December return.
He also signed a contract running to June 2030 back in February, so Juventus hold every card. Yildiz scored 11 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions last season.
What about January?
That leaves Arsenal looking elsewhere in the short term. They were told Julian Alvarez is staying at Atletico Madrid for the January window, after tracking the Argentina forward for much of the summer and holding talks with Atletico. Any move for him is now expected to wait until at least the end of the season.
RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa has also been linked as a January target, with a left-sided winger the preferred option, but Leipzig have no interest in selling him mid-season. That gap on the left is exactly what Nigel Winterburn admitted the Gunners still need to fill.
Verdict: Kenan Yildiz is worth the wait
I’d be surprised if anything happens before the summer. Juventus need money, but they also need their best attacker back fit, and a club that blocked a sale in June is hardly going to cave while he’s in rehab.
The summer is different. If Juventus really do have to raise €70-80 million and have already lined up Alajbegovic as the long-term replacement, Yildiz becomes the obvious sale. After watching Fleetwood expose how thin Arsenal’s front line is, a 21-year-old forward of his quality would be a serious statement of intent. £125m is huge money, but for a player with his contract and his ceiling, that’s the price of doing business with Juventus.
