As suspected, Arsenal’s reported interest in Kenan Yildiz was used as leverage in negotiations that have now ended with the winger signing a lucrative long term contract at Juventus.
For months, Yildiz was repeatedly linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Chelsea consistently cited in Italian reporting as the most serious external threats to Juventus’ control of the situation.
Figures between €80m and €100m were regularly mentioned as the price Juventus would demand to even consider a sale, with Arsenal described as long-term admirers who had explored contact with both the club and the player’s representatives.
Those links never developed into a formal move, but they played a central role in shaping the outcome.
Juventus responded to the sustained speculation by dramatically improving their renewal offer, a move explicitly framed in Italian media as an effort to fend off Arsenal’s interest and remove any temptation for Yildiz to consider a Premier League switch.
The result is a new contract running until 30 June 2030, with some reports suggesting options could extend it to 2031. Yildiz’s net salary is reported to have jumped from around €1.7m per season to roughly €6m net, plus bonuses of up to €1m and a significant signing on fee, placing the 20-year-old among Juventus’ higher earners despite his age.
Club messaging has reinforced the point. Juventus have presented the renewal as a statement of intent, with chief executive Damien Comolli describing Yildiz as a cornerstone of the project to restore the club’s status.
Transfer briefings have been more direct, stating that Yildiz was “expected to reject interest from the Premier League to sign a new long term contract at Juventus” once the improved terms were placed on the table.
In effect, Arsenal’s name did the work. The links never became a deal, but they created the pressure that allowed Yildiz and his camp to secure a major pay rise and long term commitment in Turin, while Juventus achieved their priority of locking in one of their key young players.