Arsenal rival Real Madrid for €100m wonderkid signing

Robin Bairner

8 Dec 2025 07:33 GMT
4 min read

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Arsenal are ready to step up their interest in Juventus wonderkid Kenan Yildiz amid contract uncertainty and interest from Real Madrid.

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The Premier League leaders are known to want to reinforce their attacking options and have Yildiz in their sights as the January transfer window approaches.

The 20-year-old has become one of Serie A’s outstanding prospects, but Calciomercato indicates that he could soon be on his way to the Emirates Stadium as interest from Mikel Arteta’s side builds.

Current ETV

Kenan Yıldız

F, M (L)

Juventus

Kenan Yıldız

F, M (L)

Juventus

ETV Range

€62.7M - €76.7M

Juventus’ position over Yildiz is becoming increasingly fragile as contract talks with their young ace falter. The former Bayern Munich youth is aiming for a contract worth €5-6 million per year, yet Juve have reportedly baulked at such a request, which is around four times what he currently earns.

Although the Turkey international, who has five goals and three assists in Serie A this season, is under contract until 2029, a stellar 2024/25 season has pushed his value up significantly and the player now wants to be paid in line with this.

“Calm down. Everyone wants to do this. With balance and calm, anything can be done,” Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus’ director of football strategy, has claimed.

Kenan Yildiz: Arsenal make ‘real contact’ with Juventus star

Juve face a double threat from Real Madrid and Arsenal, with the clubs fighting to secure his signature while his new deal remains unsigned.

“There’s been real contact with Arsenal, that is, Arsenal have asked for information, it’s part of the game, there’s no negotiation, let’s be clear, but they have asked for information about this player who, in my opinion, could also do very well in the Premier League,” journalist Gianni Balzarini told TuttoJuve.

“Given his physical and technical characteristics, and so it’s clear that after all this atmosphere here, a sort of halo is forming around the boy, the player who, for his part, I also understand, may claim the need to play in a better team.”

Fabrizio Romano previously revealed that Yildiz was scheduled to conduct a new round of contract talks with Juventus, which were pencilled in for around now, suggesting that the news of Arsenal’s interest in the player could be part of a plan to leverage him a better deal in Turin.

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