Arsenal’s pursuit of Kenan Yildiz appears to have reached a dead end, with reports in Italy claiming the club’s scouting presence in Turin is “without hope” of it leading to a transfer.
According to TuttoJuve, a representative from Arsenal attended Juventus’s match against AC Milan at the Allianz Stadium to monitor the 20-year-old forward, but the publication insists that “the Turk isn’t on display.”
The outlet reports that Yildiz has already agreed terms on a new long-term deal with Juventus and that only “bureaucratic details” remain before it is made official.
“Yildiz, the real deal for Juve’s renewal is already in place: Arsenal at the Stadium without hope,” the piece stated in the subhead. “The Premier League’s top club isn’t giving up, but Kenan’s desire remains the same and the final signal has been coming for some time: nothing to be done.”
Yildiz, who broke into the Juventus first team under Massimiliano Allegri, has become a symbol of the club’s new generation. His development from youth prospect to senior regular has been overseen carefully, with Juventus now planning to extend his contract until 2030, including an option for a further year, on a salary of around €5 million per season.
The Turin outlet also noted that Juventus view the deal as part of a wider effort to reward Yildiz’s progress “without overdoing it,” mindful of previous missteps in their wage structure following Dusan Vlahovic’s arrival.
While Juventus work to finalise the extension, Arsenal are said to have used their scouting trip to monitor other young talents, including 19-year-old left-back Davide Bartesaghi, but their interest in Yildiz appears to have been overtaken by events.
Despite continued Premier League interest, TuttoJuve reports that Yildiz has already “rejected summer advances” from England. The publication concluded that the renewal “will be nothing more than a mere formality” and described Yildiz as “a flag that is growing, and one that, for once, no one has any intention of lowering.”