Man Utd given GREEN LIGHT to beat Arsenal to €100m transfer

Suraj Radia

18 Dec 2025 16:32 GMT
5 min read

Manchester United have identified a potential €100 million signing to take advantage of the Premier League’s new financial rules and potentially beat the likes of Arsenal to a highly-coveted young star.

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The Premier League are set to replace PSR rules with a new ‘squad cost ratio’ model from next season, which would allow teams with larger revenues, such as United, to spend with more flexibility, particularly with no penalties enforced for overspending in the first year.

United’s top target in the attacking areas remains Antoine Semenyo and they are said to be active in discussions alongside teams like Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City, although it will be down to the Bournemouth star as to which team he chooses to join.

Should United miss out on Semenyo, Kenan Yildiz could be a player that the club target if they qualify for the Champions League, with Juventus likely to demand as much as €100m for their star man.

Current ETV

Kenan Yıldız

F, M (L)

Juventus

Kenan Yıldız

F, M (L)

Juventus

ETV Range

€60.5M - €74M

“The other name I hear they like, but he’s even more expensive than Semenyo, is Kenan Yildiz, who could be available,” Jacobs told The United Stand. “For me, that’s going to be a €90m-100m signing and Arsenal have the player on their radar as well.”

Yildiz could be sold by Juventus if they miss out on Champions League football for next season, with Arsenal and Chelsea among the teams strongly linked in signing the Turkish wonderkid next summer.

Yildiz deal could hinge on Semenyo future for United

United’s priority for 2026 remains two elite central midfielders and that is where most their resources will be allocated to, with a deal for Yildiz likely to depend on a number factors next summer such as the club’s league finish and the outcome of other deals.

© IMAGO - Kenan Yildiz has been impressive for Juventus this season.

Jacobs revealed that City and United have approached Bournemouth in the last 48 hours to learn more about Semenyo’s release clause, which is around £65m (€74m), with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson also a top target.

United are among the sides who would prefer to wait until the summer to target Semenyo but the likes of City and Tottenham could force their hand by moving in January, with Liverpool also active in the race if they sell Mohamed Salah this winter.

Jacobs added: “It’s not so much about the price since the club will have more rope to work with due to the new financial rules. United are not looking for like-for-like numbers, they may go for someone cheaper or more expensive than Semenyo, but the priority is two midfielders and perhaps a left-wing back before a forward.”

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