Arsenal are keeping tabs on Kenan Yildiz, the Juventus forward, as questions surround his future in Italy. Although the Turin club is not keen on letting go of their star player, experts suggest that a lack of squad depth might stifle his growth.
According to The Athletic, the Gunners showed serious interest in the 21-year-old Turkish talent last summer, but Juventus dismissed any thoughts of selling him.
Yildiz is already regarded as one of the most promising attacking players in Europe. At such a young age, he has managed to score 27 goals and provide 21 assists for the Serie A club.
However, Juventus's reliance on their star forward is becoming increasingly evident.
This season, Juventus have lost just one of their seven matches, but they are struggling significantly with scoring goals. The situation has been exacerbated by Yildiz's absence due to a foot fracture sustained in an August encounter against Frosinone.
Over the summer, Juventus bolstered their attack by signing Randal Kolo Muani on a permanent basis and bringing in Nico Voltemade on loan. Yet, both forwards have yet to find the back of the net in the ongoing 2026/27 season.
Alessandro Vocalelli, a journalist for Gazzetta dello Sport, believes Juventus’s issues lie more with squad quality rather than coaching decisions.
He stated:
When examining the current Juventus, aside from the phenomenal Yildiz, one must ask: how many players from this squad would make it into teams like Inter or Roma?
We must tread carefully to ensure we don’t waste Yildiz’s immense talent in a team that doesn’t meet his level.
Vocalelli is convinced that even the substitutes from rival clubs could strengthen Juventus.
He continued:
Gleison Bremer would undoubtedly fit well in these teams. But who else?
If we flip the question, how many substitutes from Inter or Roma could play for Juventus? The list would be rather lengthy.
This disparity in squad quality is so clear that discussions should focus on the club's activities in the transfer market rather than the actions of the coaches.
For Arsenal, this scenario is intriguing. The London club had attempted to secure a top forward last summer, weighing up moves for Julián Álvarez from Atletico and Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid.
Both transfers fell through, and their only addition to the attacking line came in the form of Kristos Tzolis from Brugge for €40 million.
Yildiz remains another potential avenue for strengthening the squad, although no new discussions between Arsenal and Juventus have been confirmed as of yet.
Meanwhile, the Turkish winger is continuing his recovery from injury, with expectations that he will return to the pitch in December.
Before that time, Juventus must prove they can achieve results without their key attacking player.
