Chelsea tracking Juventus star as contract renewal talks stall

Soccer Football – Serie A – Juventus v Genoa – Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy – March 29, 2025 Juventus' Kenan Yildiz celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

Chelsea is lining up a move for Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz. The Blues showed interest in the player during the summer but were unable to make progress in negotiations with Juventus. With the player also linked to Arsenal and Barcelona, the Bianconeri want to tie Yildiz down to a lucrative new deal.

Gazzetta dello Sport has reported that Juve has entered negotiations with the father and agent of Yildiz, but the parties are still far away on the terms of agreement. With the deal progressing a slower pace than expected, Chelsea remain ready to pounce should the player become available.

The 20-year-old currently earns €1.5m per year and is seeking a deal nearly triple that amount. Yildiz inherited the famed No.10 shirt at Juve in the summer of 2024, signaling the club’s faith in their young star.

He is seeking terms to place him amongst the club’s top five earners alongside the likes of Bremer and Koopmeiners who earn €5m and €4.5m per year respectively, and behind only Vlahovic and Jonathon David who earn €12m and €6m respectively.

Chelsea would likely have no issues meeting the player’s wage demands and could use their financial muscle in any future negations. The Blues reportedly had an offer of €70m rejected by Juve in the summer but could be ready to test their resolved once more.

Yildiz has started the season strong for the Old Lady, scoring two goals and providing four assists across all competitions for the club. The 20-year-old is is seen by both Juventus and his country Turkey as a future leader after impressing for club and country as a teenager.