CHELSEA READY FRESH BID FOR ARSENAL TRANSFER TARGET KENAN YıLDıZ
Chelsea are ready to make a new move for Juventus star Kenan Yıldız after a £61m summer bid was rejected. The Blues remain keen on the Turkish attacker as contract talks with Juve stall.
According to rumours in Italy, Chelsea has plans to make a follow-up deal for Kenan Yildiz after their summer offer for the Juventus attacker was turned down.
The 20-year-old Yildiz established himself as one of the most intriguing attacking talents in Italian football by finishing the previous season with an outstanding return of nine goals and eight assists across all competitions.
Yildiz has continued to build on his success this season, scoring two goals and dishing up four assists in his first eight appearances for Juventus.
Juventus' management has not concealed their efforts to sign Yildiz to a better contract to stave off interest from other countries, since the top players in Europe are starting to show interest in the Turkish international.
Scouts were reportedly there in the stands to observe Yildiz play during Juventus' goalless draw with AC Milan on Friday night. Arsenal has been strongly linked to the player for a while.
Yildiz's admirers also include Chelsea and Barcelona, who "stay in the background" as the young player's delicate contract negotiations with Juventus continue, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
According to the article, the Blues are "ready to attack again" after general manager Damien Comolli rejected Chelsea's aggressive July approach of €70 million (£61 million) for Yildiz.
According to reports, negotiations between Juventus and Yildiz's team for a prospective contract renewal are proceeding "slower than expected", and "the figures are far apart" at this point; yet, "optimism persists" in Turin.
Juventus is attempting to get their No. 10 to commit to Yildiz's future until 2030, with the possibility of an additional 12 months, as his current contract expires in 2029.
Engin, Yildiz's father and agent, is playing hardball and trying to test Juventus' resolve with high wage demands, despite the alleged "shared desire" to reach a deal.
Juventus views Yildiz as the "symbol of the new era," and the Serie A powerhouses are willing to pay the Turk enough to rank among the top five players in the locker room, behind only Jonathan David and Dusan Vlahovic.
According to a different report from Tuttosport in the summer, Juventus would not even entertain the idea of cashing in on Yildiz until they received an offer beyond €100 million (£84 million).
Yildiz, who was only recently promoted to Juventus' leadership group, made his debut wearing the captain's armband during last month's 1-1 draw with Verona.
Following Juventus' victory over Parma, head coach Igor Tudor praised Yildiz's demeanour on and off the pitch and urged the young player to develop into a "truly top player".
"I realised that I never say anything to Yildiz in front of others because he always accomplishes what he is supposed to do," he told DAZN while speaking with the squad recently.
We seldom ever speak to him about anything, even his behaviour or playing style.
The difference is the internal drive you need to get there and accomplish your goals, which must be present each day.
"Yildiz is demonstrating that, and I hope he keeps doing so every day." He possesses all the qualities necessary to excel as a footballer.
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
_1777371632.webp)
