Two London Giants Chase Juventus’ Bright Gem: Kenan Yildiz on the Radar

Chelsea and Arsenal set sights on Juventus star Kenan Yildiz

A report from an Italian outlet today confirms Chelsea have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Kenan Yildiz, Juventus’s rising Turkish talent.

Initial reports had hinted Arsenal were also keen, with their scouts reportedly monitoring Yildiz during Juventus' goalless draw with Milan on Sunday.

Playmakers at the Emirates hold Yildiz in high regard and even sent scouts to watch him up close, but Juventus are ready to act to keep the 20-year-old in Turin for as long as possible.

According to the Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, Chelsea want to sign the forward to bolster their attack in the upcoming period.

Chelsea previously tabled a bid for Yildiz in the last summer window, reportedly around 65 million pounds, which Juventus rebuffed.

However, Chelsea have not given up, and would pursue a January move or a pursuit after the season ends, should the negotiations stall.

Yildiz has been a standout for Juventus this season, contributing 5 goals and 6 assists in 12 appearances across all competitions, showing why several top clubs are interested.

Juventus, meanwhile, are pushing to tie him down with a new deal in order to secure his stay until 2030, with his current contract expiring in 2029. Turin is weighing up a renewed package, including a higher salary.

Under Juventus' proposal, Yildiz could sign a contract worth around 5 million euros per year, with an option to extend for another season until 2031.

Yildiz’s numbers

The Turkish youngster has been a regular fixture for Juve this season, featuring in all competitions and underscoring the trust placed in him by coach Igor Tudore? It should be Igor Tudor. He has started in five Serie A games, with two goals and two assists, including a goal in the 2-0 win over Parma and another in the 4-3 Derby d’Italia victory over Inter Milan. After that, Juventus hit a rough patch with two draws against Verona and Atalanta, and a difficult 4-4 and 2-2 in the Champions League against Dortmund and Villarreal respectively.

A remarkable journey

The 20-year-old progressed from Juventus’ youth ranks to the first team in 2023. He has appeared 91 times for Juve, clocking over 5,222 minutes, contributing 18 goals and 15 assists. He has also collected 6 yellow cards and 1 red, and lifted the Coppa Italia in the 2023-2024 season when Juventus beat Atalanta in the final 1-0.

Juventus’ perspective

Juventus opened the season strongly with a home win over Parma (2-0) and a narrow 1-0 win at Genoa, before a dramatic 4-3 Derby d’Italia win over Inter. The campaign has since cooled with draws against Verona and Atalanta, plus a stuttering start in the Champions League, where they allowed Dortmund to score four in a 4-4 draw and followed with a 2-2 stalemate against Villarreal.

Milan’s season start

Meanwhile Milan began with a Coppa Italia win over Bari and a string of league results as they chase a strong campaign, heading toward early December fixtures against Lazio and other big teams, hoping to build momentum built on a promising start to the year.

In short, both Chelsea and Arsenal are circling a talent who could reshape their frontline in the coming windows, while Juventus seeks to lock him down for the long term. The next moves could reshape the transfer landscape for the remainder of the season.

Punchline 1: If transfer rumors were a sport, these stories would be Olympics—gold medal for suspense, bronze for accuracy. Punchline 2: Kenan might soon need a bigger locker room and a bigger bank account—just to fit all the rumors and the potential prize money.