BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal make stunning €50m + Gabriel Jesus ‘concrete offer’ for €90m ‘Superstar’ who ‘will definitely be a Ballon d’Or winner’ in 2026 – Fabrizio Romano confirmed
Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, who could be sold for Juventus star Kenan Yildiz
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is planning to kill two birds with one stone as he prepares to raid Juventus for Kenan Yildiz and also offload Gabriel Jesus, according to a report in the Italian media, but the Gunners’ plan may not work.
Yildiz is one of the best young players in Europe and is on the radar of Arsenal, among other clubs. Despite having the likes of Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze to play as a number 10, the north London club are said to have taken a shine to the Juventus star, too.
Bianconera News reported on September 20 that Arsenal are keen on Yildiz, who has been playing as a second striker for Juventus this season.
According to Radio Radio in Italy, Arsenal have decided to take a step further and are planning to make a huge bid for Yildiz.
Arsenal’s ‘concrete offer’ for Yildiz, who is valued at €80-90million (up to £78m, $104.5m) by Juventus, is cash and Gabriel Jesus.
The Gunners’ offer of €50m (£43.4m, $58m) to Juventus for the 20-year-old ‘is on the table’, with the north London club also willing to send Jesus to the Italian giants as part of the seal.
Sources have told TEAMtalk that Arsenal value Jesus at £30m (€34.4m, $40.4m), with Radio Radio now adding that the Premier League leaders believe that a combination of the Brazil international striker plus cash should convince Juventus to sell their prized asset.
Jesus, who has been out of action ever since he suffered an ACL injury in January, will struggle to get into Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up because of competition from Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz.
Signed from Manchester City in 2022 to lead Arsenal to the Premier League title, Jesus has scored just 26 goals and given 20 assists in 96 matches in all competitions for the Gunners.
Juventus will need a striker to replace Dusan Vlahovic, who is out of contract at the end of the season, so Jesus could be his replacement.
Juventus stance on selling Kenan Yildiz to Arsenal
Yildiz has been a star for Juventus this season, scoring two goals and registering four assists in eight matches.
During the 2024/25 campaign, the Turkey international attacker, who can also play as a left-winger, scored 12 goals and gave nine assists in 52 matches in all competitions.
Former Manchester United and Italy international forward Giuseppe Rossi has been hugely impressed with Yildiz and has backed him to eventually win the Ballon d’Or.
Rossi told TuttoMercatoWeb on October 1 “A super Yildiz. The Turk is a phenomenon and will be a Ballon d’Or winner in the future: he’s 20, but he plays like a 30-year-old with a 100 Champions League appearances.
“I have a soft spot for his ability to attempt a beautiful play for the good of the team, not just for the applause.
“Juventus is Yildiz plus 10 others; in terms of impact, he’s a bit like the Lamine Yamal of the Bianconeri.”
Former England and Juventus manager Fabio Capello has compared Yildiz to the legendary Alessandro Del Piero and wrote in La Gazzetta dello Sport in September: “For what he does when he plays, for the position he takes up and where he performs best.
“With the Turk, in some way, you can see Del Piero on the pitch again, even if, of course, we are talking about a different period and a different context.
“Alex had great qualities, including dribbling ability, but for example, he didn’t have the speed that Yildiz has, with and without the ball. They have the same shooting ability, even from outside the box.
“Charisma is a quality they have in common.
“Del Piero had so much of it, he always did. Yildiz is just starting out, but he’s already showing that he has plenty as well. That’s what allows him to stand out for both club and country.
“When it comes to creativity, they’re on par, but it must be said that creativity is essential, but not enough. It must be matched with quality as well. We all know what Del Piero achieved in his career. Yildiz has only just begun.
“We shouldn’t underestimate another trait they share: they can both strike with either foot. Being two-footed, in Del Piero’s football and in today’s game, is an added value that only players with that little something extra possess.
“Del Piero also had great vision, whereas Yildiz, at the moment, seems more inclined towards dribbling and sometimes tends to play more in an individual and personalised way.
“These are different times and different teams, but the ‘Juventinity’ is another of those virtues they both embody. Today’s Juve have in Yildiz a symbolic player.”
Juventus are aware of how good Yildiz is, and there is no surprise to learn that, despite Arsenal’s interest in the attacker, they are in no mood to sell him.
Chelsea have had a bid for Yildiz already turned down by Juventus, with trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano revealing that the Serie A powerhouse plan to hand him a new deal.
Romano said on his YouTube channel on October 1: “I believe that, with his contract expiring in 2029, it’s more of a pressing issue than a matter of urgency – because it’s already a very long contract – but above all, Juve’s desire to give Yildiz what he deserves financially, also to get ahead of the transfer window a little.
“Sometimes renewals are made because they have to be done in terms of timing, so there’s an urgency to renew contracts to avoid surprises.
“In this case, I believe Juve wants to avoid finding themselves in a situation where Yildiz could receive a very large offer from abroad and say, ‘OK, but my salary is low, I’d rather go somewhere else.’
“Yildiz has shown great affection for Juventus so far, not only with his performances but also during the summer.
“If Yildiz had wanted to move to the Premier League, I assure you he could have done so at the start of the transfer window.
“Chelsea have always been very interested, and the Premier League’s interest remains because Yildiz is a fantastic player, so it’s normal to see the attention of the big clubs.
“But Juventus, as I said, is working on a renewal and is optimistic; they want to reach a solution as soon as possible to ward off any other temptation for a champion like Kenan Yildiz.”
That has been echoed by journalist Graeme Bailey, who also noted Manchester United and Liverpool’s interest in Yildiz and told TBR: “Damien Comolli only arrived in the summer, but he made a big impact.
“He completed the captures of Jonathan David and Lois Openda, but he is very much looking at keeping hold of their top talents, and there is nobody more important than Yildiz.
“Yildiz looks like a superstar and Juve know that most of Europe’s top clubs would take him at the drop of a hat, but he is now working on a new deal and the hope is he signs and then that shows that he is not on the market anytime soon.”
