Why do Arsenal want Juventus attacker Kenan Yildiz and how would he fit into Mikel Arteta’s team?

Reports that Arsenal dispatched scouts to watch Kenan Yildiz play against AC Milan on Sunday would suggest Juventus’s insistence that their star forward is not for sale have fallen on deaf ears.

The noise around the 20-year-old has grown steadily over the past two seasons, with his pace,  dribbling ability and eye for goal attracting interest from across Europe. 

Chelsea and Arsenal are both understood to have made unsuccessful bids for Yildiz, while Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has also been credited with interest in the attacker.

Such interest is nothing new for Yildiz, who spurned offers from boyhood club Bayern Munich and Barcelona when he signed for Juventus three summers ago. Alongside defensive midfielder Khéphren Thuram and full-back Andrea Cambiaso, the forward is regarded as a pillar of the Turin club’s future.

Juventus have been steadfast in their refusal to consider parting with Yildiz, whose existing contract runs until 2029, and agreement is nearing on an improved contract that would take his annual salary from £1.3m to about £3.5m, in line with the club’s top earners. 

The specifics of image rights and bonuses are the only outstanding items on the agenda, according to reports in the Italian press, with Juventus close to securing the attacker’s services until 2030, with the option of a further year.

Why do Arsenal want Kenan Yildiz and where would he fit in? 

None of that appears to have deterred Arsenal, which is perhaps unsurprising. Yildiz’s signature move, showcased against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last month, involves cutting in from the left to produce a curled finish inside the far post in a manner redolent of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.

It is no secret that the club manager Mikel Arteta would like to add greater attacking intent to the left side of his front three, where Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Mikel Merino, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze have all featured this season.

None of those players has made the position his own, however, and there can be little doubt Yildiz would bring fresh creativity and threat down the left were Arsenal able to prise him from the Allianz Stadium.

Where that would leave Eze, however, is unclear. A £60m signing from Crystal Palace this summer, the forward has completed 90 minutes just once in the Premier League since his arrival, although that has not prevented him from providing assists against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. The Nigeria international also scored his first goal for the club in last month’s League Cup win over Port Vale.

But with Madueke, who arrived in July from Chelsea, effectively signed as cover for Bukayo Saka on the right side of the front three, Eze would find himself facing stiff competition for a starting place were Yildiz to come in. 

That could change, of course, were a substantial bid to come in for Martinelli, whom Arsenal were reportedly open to selling this summer.

Who is Kenan Yildiz?

Born in eastern Bavaria, Yildiz has a Turkish father, Engin, and a German mother, Beate Hackl, both of whom played an active role in his early development. He came through Bayern Munich’s youth system but decided against signing his first professional contract with the club, instead opting for Juventus.

He went on to score against Frosinone on his first start, and last September became Juventus’s youngest ever Champions League goalscorer, netting against PSV to eclipse a record previously held by Alessandro Del Piero. 

Hailed as the most valuable Turkish player in history, his potential commercial importance to Juventus was made plain when he appeared alongside Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal in an Adidas promotional campaign last year.

“The Turk is a phenomenon and will be a Ballon d’Or winner in the future,” former Italy international Giuseppe Rossi recently told TuttoMercatoWeb. “He’s 20, but he plays like a 30-year-old with a hundred Champions League appearances. 

“I have a soft spot for his ability to attempt a beautiful play for the good of the team, not just for the applause. Juventus is Yildiz plus 10 others; in terms of impact, he’s a bit like the Lamine Yamal of the Bianconeri.”

What has Kenan Yildiz said about his future?

For the moment, Yildiz appears content to fulfil that role. 

“Staying at Juventus for the rest of my life would be a dream for me,” said Yildiz, who has scored two goals and contributed four assists so far this season.

“But in football, you never know what can happen. I prefer to enjoy the present without thinking too much about the future.”

Arsenal are among those who remain optimistic that the forward’s future may include them.