With Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United serious admirers of the dynamic Kenan Yildiz, discussions about an improved deal with Juventus are imminent.
The 20-year-old Turkish talent, who smashed club records during his breakthrough season last term, ranks only 24th on Juve’s squad wage bill according to the website salary sport.
He reportedly earns an annual wage of €540,000 (US$631.7k), under half that his former Juventus Next Gen team-mate Samuel Mbangula picks up, and his salary is dwarfed by the club’s top earners.
This needs urgently addressing if the Bianconeri want to keep their shining star, who recently offered his services to Barcelona via super agent Jorge Mendes.
Hyped-up hefty price tag
Mendes has touted the German-born youngest as the next best thing since meeting Yildiz’s parents in a Turin restaurant earlier this year. He persuaded the club to slap a staggering €100 million (US$117m) price tag on his client.
A hyped-up media campaign about Yildiz was generated by Mendes, with an array of top teams being linked to landing the Juventus no10.
His form dipped following all the speculation. Yet he soon managed to get his groove back under Igor Tudor, who arrived in March as interim head coach and has since been appointed permanent manager.
Premier League hands-off message
Yildiz’s explosive displays started to attract attention from cash-rich Premier League clubs, but Juventus issued a strict hands-off policy about their prized asset.
His exploits at the FIFA Club World Cup, including a remarkably good performance against Morocco heavyweights Wydad AC, cemented his value to Juventus and indeed any leading club.
Tudor, full of praise for Yildiz after that match, claimed: “Yildiz has huge potential, he has rare qualities. He can make the difference up front with the dynamism of a midfielder. He's a special talent, but it’s his mentality that will take him far.”
Juventus want to build their team around Yildiz, and are not entertaining any offers during the summer transfer window.
Yet the club will have to show their commitment that he is the face of Juve’s future. To do so they potentially need to increase his salary by ten times the lowly figure he currently earns, which would propel him into their top five highest-paid players.
Yildiz may make a move
Anything less and Mendes may persuade Yildiz to make a move, as he has a lengthy list of suitors keen to secure his signature.
Yildiz’s current contract with the Turin titans expires in 2029, so any new deal would be extended by a year with a massive wage hike to reflect his importance to the club.
Tying him down now, rather than selling, makes sense as Juventus could cash in for big bucks at a later date. He is hungry for success, and will want to be seriously chasing silverware.
The Bianconeri looked way off the mark against both Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Club World Cup. Even with the recent acquisition of hot-shot Jonathan David, they still appear to be unlikely to be Scudetto contenders unless the squad is severely strengthened.
Juventus club hierarchy are expected to meet with Mendes next week to discuss a contract extension with a hefty salary increase as well as commercial opportunities to promote the player as a future superstar.