Chelsea are accelerating efforts to sign Juventus teenage winger Kenan Yildiz this summer, as per Foot Mercato.
Turkey International is one of the fastest-rising prospects in Europe. He came to the limelight with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich before contractual situations saw him leave the club to join Juventus, which trumped several top European clubs for his signature. He has now contributed 13 goals this season.
According to Foot Mercato, Yildiz’s profile has caught Chelsea’s attention, and the Premier League giants have now earmarked him for a possible transfer to Stamford Bridge this summer.
The French outlet adds that the Blues have recently made initial contacts with Juventus regarding the winger, who is contracted at the Allianz Stadium till the summer of 2029.
Following his outstanding performances and increased game time under new manager Igor Tudor, the report adds that the Bianconerri are considering renewing his contract with an improved salary and a high release clause.
However, Chelsea are intensifying efforts to secure the 19-year-old’s signature, which could affect the player’s decision to remain in Turin amid Juventus’ potential contract offer, as per the report.
Stockpile
The West London club have been pursuing a youth-driven recruitment policy since the Clearlake Todd Boehly consortium took over the club for a multi-billion dollar sum.
They’ve signed some of the best young talents in respective positions for the academy and the first team. Estevao Willian, Kendry Paez, Andrey Santos, Dario Essugo and Geovany Quenda are some notable youngsters expected to join the club.
The London giants have now set their sights on Yildiz, who has caught the eye with his impressive performances for the Turin-based outfit this season.
Nonetheless, in spite of his immense potential, a transfer for the 19-year-old—valued at €45m (£38m) by Transfermarkt, does not appear necessary, as the club already have an array of wingers in their squad.
Youngster Tyrique George has also shown in his few cameos for the club that he can be entrusted with first-team opportunities, as evident in his equalising goal against Fulham last weekend.
Channelling the funds into the centre-forward role—which has lacked consistency in recent seasons—would be a smarter move. This would place faith in the already acquired young talents to take responsibility on the left flank rather than stockpiling an already crowded position.
