Arsenal snubbed by wonderkid - Romano

Tom Weber

Updated: 15 Apr 2024 18:16 BST
3 min read

Fabrizio Romano, Mikel Arteta, Arsenal — © IMAGO

Kenan Yildiz is set to sign a new Juventus contract, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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The Turkish wonderkid has been in the news a lot lately. One of Europe's most highly-regarded young players, the 18-year-old attacker has often been linked with a departure from northern Italy.

Arsenal are long-term admirers of Yildiz, but it was recently claimed by Italian media that Juventus were hatching a plan to make the player 'untouchable.' The idea was for the Turkey international to sign a new contract - already his third since arriving in 2022 - and to potentially even be handed Alessandro del Piero's famous number ten shirt.

In light of the Old Lady's interest in Gunners striker Gabriel Jesus, a potential swap deal could have made sense, but it seems that Juventus are set to pull through with their original plan of making Yildiz the face of their club for the foreseeable future.

Yildiz set for new deal

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that Yildiz is set to sign a new, long-term contract with the Bianconeri. Intriguingly, however, the length of the deal reported by Romano is shorter than the one previously touted.

"Kenan Yildiz," Romano wrote on X, "set to sign a new deal at Juventus valid until June 2028. It’s all agreed with Leaderbrocks agency, set to be sealed soon. Right after the official signature, Yildiz and Leaderbrocks agency will part ways due to different views on future steps."

Previously, it had been claimed that Yildiz's new deal would run until 2030, but it seems that this won't be the case now. Either way, the fresh contract means that Arsenal likely won't have a chance at signing Yildiz for at least a couple of years.

The teenager has thus far made 25 senior appearances for Juventus, notching three goals. He also scored on his starting debut for Turkey's senior national team against Germany in late 2023.