Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz’s stock is on a tremendous rise since the start of this season, with a number of Premier League clubs believed to be interested in his signing next year, including Arsenal.
Italian source Radio Radio has reported that the Gunners are already lining up an offer for the Turkish international worth £43 million and also plan on using Gabriel Jesus in a swap deal in order to cheapen the overall price of the deal.
Yildiz is valued at £87 million by Juventus, whereas Jesus was on the Bianconeri’s radar during his Manchester City days, so the proposition of signing him in 2026 as part of a swap deal could yet turn out to be enticing.
Arsenal may need to offer more money
With Dusan Vlahovic in the final season of his contract at Juventus and widely expected to be at a different club next year, the Serie A giants will need a striker and can use Gabriel Jesus in the number nine position.
The 28-year-old has been troubled by injuries for much of his time at Arsenal but has been decent up top whenever fit, so if he can maintain his health, there is every reason to think he would succeed at the Allianz Stadium.
Having said that, it is difficult to foresee Juventus accepting just £43 million in cash, just half of their asking price, especially because Jesus is not currently worth over £40 million and is not a key part of his club’s plans either.
Arsenal would need to up the financial portion of the deal by a significant amount if indeed they are to stand a chance at signing Yildiz, otherwise they risk losing him to Chelsea, who are also thought to be keen on his transfer.
It will be interesting to see how much they are ready to spend on signing the 20-year-old given that the Gunners have quality players already available in his position, but at the same time, a generational talent like him is too good to easily give up on.
