Reports in Italy claim Arsenal have made genuine contact with the camp of Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz. The young star has rapidly become one of Serie A’s standout wide players, but with his contract talks slowing down, Arsenal are said to be monitoring the situation closely.
TuttoJuve reports that the Gunners have requested details about the player, although Italian journalist Gianni Balzarini insists that no formal negotiations with Juventus are underway at the moment.
“There’s been real contact with Arsenal, that is, Arsenal have asked for information,” Balzarini said.
“It’s part of the game; there’s no negotiation, to be clear.
“But they have asked for information about this player who, in my opinion, could also do very well in the Premier League given his physical and technical characteristics.
“So it’s clear that after all this atmosphere here, a sort of halo is forming around the boy, a player who, understandably, may feel he deserves to play for a better team.”
Balzarini expects Yildiz will ultimately remain at Juventus, but stresses that the club needs to sort out a new deal for the 20-year-old before the season concludes.
“I echo Giorgio Chiellini’s words, which were important when he said Yildiz will be at Juventus for many years.
“He is under contract until 2029, but the club must, in my opinion, reach an agreement with the player by the end of this season.
“Otherwise, you inevitably leave the door open to temptation from teams that have already made enquiries or are in the process of doing so.”
Contract negotiations between Yildiz and Juventus have slowed, and Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City are all said to be watching the situation closely.
Although the Turkey international is under contract until 2029, Juventus are looking to reward his growing importance with a major salary increase. The new deal would likely extend his stay by just a year, but his wages could jump from €1.7 million to around €5–6 million per season.
A January move seems highly unlikely, but the summer window could get interesting if no agreement is reached. Should Juventus decide to sell after the 2025/26 campaign, they would reportedly want at least €80 million (£69.9m).
There’s also some doubt about whether Arsenal’s interest is genuine or simply being used to help Yildiz secure a more lucrative deal. It wouldn’t be the first time a club’s name has been leveraged in contract talks.
Arsenal, who brought in Ebere Eze and Noni Madueke during the summer, still don’t have a natural left winger in the squad. With Bukayo Saka locked in on the right and Martin Odegaard operating centrally, both new arrivals have found themselves playing on the left and will likely continue there.
That extra competition has pushed Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli to raise their levels as well.
On paper, Mikel Arteta has enough wide options and doesn’t necessarily need another winger—but Yildiz could arguably become Arsenal’s strongest left-sided option immediately. At just 20 and already showing elite potential, he would be a remarkable addition.
However, he wouldn’t arrive unless either Martinelli or Trossard were to leave.
Trossard, who has four goals and three assists in 11 league games this season, is under contract until 2027. At 31, Arsenal might consider selling him next summer rather than risk losing him for nothing later.
Martinelli is also tied down until 2027 with an option for 2028 and would fetch a substantial fee without weakening the squad.
Arsenal were prepared to listen to offers for Martinelli in the summer and could use any funds raised to move for Yildiz—or even include Martinelli as part of a potential deal with Juventus.
