Liverpool are reportedly keen on beating Arsenal and Chelsea in the race to sign Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
After letting Luis Diaz leave the club this summer, the Reds didn’t go for a specialist left-winger to replace the Colombian. Instead, they opted to buy Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak.
Although both can provide cover on the flanks if needed, they prefer to be deployed in the centre-forward position. Meaning, Arne Slot has been left with Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa as options for the left side of the attack.
However, the Italian struggled to find regular game time last term after joining from Juventus. He has had a bright start to this season, but has continued to remain on the periphery.
Gakpo, on the other hand, has started the season slowly, so perhaps the Merseyside club have begun exploring options to strengthen the LW position.
Now, Fichajes state that Liverpool have expressed their interest in Yildiz and have been monitoring his development closely before making a potential swoop next year.
Battle
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a stellar start to this season, making six goal contributions in eight appearances across all competitions. Juventus don’t want to let him leave and are hoping to tie him down to a fresh term, even though his existing deal is set to run until 2029.
Liverpool aren’t the only club interested in the Turkish international, as Arsenal and Chelsea are also keen on him, while the Gunners have sent scouts to watch him closely. Barcelona are also plotting a swoop for the youngster.
Yildiz has been displaying his best as a left-winger at the Allianz Stadium, but is also efficient in the CAM role. Liverpool decided to reinforce the attacking midfield by signing Florian Wirtz this summer, but he has had a slow start to this season.
So, signing a player like Yildiz, valued at around £65m by Transfermarkt, could be a shrewd decision for Liverpool as he would be able to provide competition for Gakpo and Wirtz, which might bring the best out of them.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see whether the Merseyside club eventually manage to secure the Juventus star’s service by defeating Arsenal, Chelsea, and Barcelona in this race next year.
