Reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Juventus have recently turned down a lucrative transfer offer from Chelsea for Turkey international Kenan Yildiz.
According to Friday’s reports (via Calciomercato.com), Enzo Maresca’s Club World Cup-winning side attempted to pinch Yildiz away from the Bianconeri, however, Juventus have outright rejected the approach and remain keen on handing the fan favourite a new and improved contract.
Chelsea had reportedly been willing to offer a fee in the region of €65m-€68m to lure the 20-year-old away from the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus remain clear in their stance that Yildiz is not for sale.
How Juventus plan to keep hold of Yildiz
The Old Lady intends on fending off any future interest in the Next Gen graduate by handing him another new and improved contract, one year on from his most recent bump in wages.
Yildiz was handed a new deal at the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign, which saw his wages rise from around €300,000 per season to a figure close to the €1m-per-season mark. He was also handed the club’s iconic no.10 shirt as a symbol of his importance to the team.
Now, after a successful season on an individual level, Yildiz is set for another pay rise, as recent reports claim Juve are willing to nudge his salary up to somewhere in the region of €3.5m per season, in line with the other key first-team players in the Bianconeri squad.
Multi-club ownership groups hoarding talent are the creeping death of competitive integrity in the sport. Private equity consolidation kills every industry it touches.