Arsenal have not moved away from Kenan Yıldız, but the shape of the chase has changed. What began as admiration for a 21-year-old attacking talent now looks more like a late-window problem to solve, with Juventus holding firm on price and no clean route to an agreement. The latest reporting points to a deal that is possible only if Arsenal find a way through a valuation gap and the noise around a swap.

The key number is the one Juventus are believed to want: upwards of £60m. For a player who only signed a new long-term contract earlier this year, that stance is hardly surprising. It also explains why Arsenal's interest keeps drifting from simple pursuit into more complicated territory.

The shift in Arsenal's plan

Part of the story is how Arsenal arrived here. According to an Independent reporter quoted by independent.co.uk, the club's thinking on the left side changed after another target dropped out of the immediate picture.

“The club would probably have moved for Bournemouth's Jan Kroupi had it not been for his injury, and that does represent an option for January.”

That helps frame why Yildiz remains under discussion now. Arsenal are exploring whether a deal can be done in this window, and with two weeks remaining before the deadline they are also working through alternatives on the left.

Mikel Arteta is not shopping from a position of panic. Arsenal have won their last 5 matches, which gives them some room to be selective, but it also makes this pursuit interesting. Clubs on that kind of run do not usually force a difficult deal unless they think the player raises the level or changes the mix in a specific area.

Yildiz's broader production is part of that appeal. One set of figures attached to last season credits him with 11 goals and 10 assists in 47 appearances. The current-season numbers are much lighter, with 3 appearances so far and a 7.0 average rating when rounded to one decimal. Both can be true without saying the same thing: Arsenal would be buying the bigger body of work, not reacting to three early games.

The fee problem and the swap talk

Juventus have little reason to soften. Yildiz has played 402 minutes across his last 5 matches, and that level of use fits a club treating him as an important part of the squad rather than an expendable asset. Their recent form has included 3 matches without a win in the last 5, which is another reason a sale is hard to picture unless the offer becomes very strong.

That is where the swap idea has crept in. Gabriel Martinelli has been mentioned as a possible route, while wider reports have kept Gabriel Jesus in the hypothetical conversation too. The key point is that none of this is settled. Different reports describe it as a floated option rather than an agreed framework.

Martinelli's situation adds another layer. He has 4 appearances and 1 goal in the current season, so this would not be a case of Arsenal pushing out a player who has fallen off the map. David Ornstein, quoted by football365.com, reported: "Gabriel Martinelli camp inform Arsenal winger has no interest in joining Galatasaray.

‘#AFC received €45m bid from Turkish club & open to trading if suitable offers arrive but #Galatasaray not on agenda for 25yo Brazil international.’"

That does not confirm any Juventus deal, but it does tell you Arsenal are at least open to big decisions on that side of the squad if the right structure appears.

Juventus are making Arsenal work for it

The hardest part for Arsenal is that every strand of this story points the same way. Juventus have a 21-year-old player under a fresh long-term contract. They are asking for upwards of £60m. Arsenal's own alternatives have been affected by injury. And the swap route being discussed still depends on pieces that are far from lined up.

So the pursuit remains alive, but it is alive because Arsenal keep checking for a way in, not because Juventus have made the door easy to open. With the deadline getting closer, this looks less like a standard big-fee move and more like a negotiation that only shifts if Arsenal change the terms.

FAQ

Will Arsenal sign Kenan Yildiz this summer?

Arsenal are still exploring whether a deal for Kenan Yildiz is possible in this window, but nothing is close to straightforward. Juventus want upwards of £60m, Yildiz only signed a new long-term contract earlier this year, and any swap route involving Gabriel Martinelli or Gabriel Jesus remains speculative.

Why are Arsenal looking at Kenan Yildiz now?

Part of the shift came after Arsenal had been considering a move for Bournemouth's Jan Kroupi, but his injury changed that plan. Yildiz remains a live option on the left side, and Arsenal are working through alternatives with two weeks left before the transfer deadline.

Could Gabriel Martinelli be used in an Arsenal deal for Kenan Yildiz?

Martinelli's name has been floated in possible swap discussions, but reports do not present that as an agreed structure. David Ornstein, quoted by football365.com, reported that Martinelli has no interest in joining Galatasaray, even though Arsenal received a €45m bid from the Turkish club and are open to suitable offers.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →