Arsenal are positioning themselves at the front of the queue to sign Turkish international Kenan Yıldız, with Juventus potentially forced to sacrifice their star attacker next summer to comply with UEFA financial restrictions.
Di Marzio told Wett Freude: “Yildiz could change in the summer, as Juventus has to sell a player or take 70 to 80 million euros in the transfer market. You can sell three or four players at once or just one.”
“They have signed Alajbegovic for this position and role because they are preparing for a possible departure from Yildiz.”
“Arsenal and Tottenham asked Juventus for the price in the summer. They were willing to offer more than 100 million euros if Juventus opened the door for this transfer.”
“If Juventus sells Yildiz, his market value will be around 150 million euros, and I think Arsenal is one of the clubs most interested in him. Tottenham as well, but Arsenal will lead the race in my opinion if Juventus actually decides to sacrifice Yildiz for the agreement with UEFA.
The 21-year-old playmaker has developed into a central figure in Turin since arriving from Bayern Munich, registering 27 goals and 21 assists across 132 appearances.
Although currently sidelined with a broken foot sustained against Frosinone on the opening day of the Serie A season—with a return planned for early December—Yıldız’s stock across Europe remains exceptionally high.
Mikel Arteta’s side have tracked the versatile forward since late 2023. Both Arsenal and North London rivals Tottenham made inquiries regarding his availability during the summer transfer window, with both clubs prepared to submit offers exceeding £85 million before Juventus closed the door on a deal.
However, the landscape could shift drastically next summer. Juventus recently entered a three-year settlement agreement with UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) after breaching the “football earnings rule”—which caps aggregate losses over a three-year monitoring period. To hit their required financial targets and avoid heavier sanctions, Juve need to generate between £60m and £70m from player sales.
Should Juventus decide to cash in on their prized asset, they are expected to demand a staggering €150m million fee. That sum would see Yıldız match the Premier League record transfer fee alongside Alexander Isak and Enzo Fernández.
Arsenal are understood to be driving the interest more aggressively than Spurs and are currently favored to lead the race if Juventus are forced to sanction a departure. With Juve already fast-tracking 19-year-old talent Kerim Alajbegović into first-team contention as a potential replacement, a record-breaking summer move to London could quickly become a reality.
