Chelsea made a bold move in the summer transfer window, tabling a €70million (£60.5m) offer for Juventus wonderkid Kenan Yildiz — but the Italian giants flatly rejected the approach, making it clear that their young talisman is not for sale.
Kenan Yildiz, just 20 years old, has quickly become one of Europe’s most exciting attacking prospects. Born in Germany but representing Turkey internationally, the forward was a Bayern Munich academy product before Juve swooped in to sign him on a free transfer in July 2022. Since then, his rise has been meteoric.
Last season, Kenan Yildiz racked up 12 goals and nine assists in 52 appearances, dazzling fans with his ability to glide past defenders and produce moments of magic. He has started the current campaign in even better form, scoring once and providing three assists in his first three games. His spectacular 30-yard strike against Inter Milan last weekend underlined exactly why Europe’s top clubs are queuing up for him.
According to reports in Italy, Chelsea were not the only side to show interest — Arsenal also made contact earlier in the window. But Juventus consider Yildiz to be “practically unsellable.” Club chiefs now value him at over €100m (£86.5m), having seen his price tag rise tenfold in just two years.
To ward off suitors, Juve are preparing a new five-year deal for Kenan Yildiz, which would include a significant pay rise to take him close to €100k per week. The Turin side view him as their “poster boy” — a player who embodies both their future ambitions and their proud attacking traditions.
Chelsea fans may be disappointed, but they aren’t short of talent up front. Enzo Maresca has Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens and new signing Estevao Willian all competing for places, while Cole Palmer remains the team’s creative heartbeat. Still, the Blues will surely keep a close eye on Kenan Yildiz, especially if he continues his blistering form.
For now, Juventus supporters can enjoy watching their new No.10 grow into one of Europe’s most complete forwards. Already a Euro 2024 standout with Turkey and now a record-breaker in both Serie A and the Champions League, Yildiz looks set to become Juve’s next true superstar — and perhaps the player Chelsea will regret missing out on.
