Arsenal told to pay £17m more for Man Utd target with 'more talent than Cristiano Ronaldo'

Arsenal have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of teenage Juventus star Kenan Yildiz with the two clubs reportedly at odds over his valuation. Yidiz, 18, has already played 15 times for the Italian giants this season, scoring three times in Serie A.

The forward has also won three caps for Turkey, and has been billed as a future superstar of European football. That has alerted Arsenal, who along with Liverpool and Manchester United, have been linked with a move in the summer.

According to Aksam, the north London club are preparing to table a £34million bid for Yildiz, who spent a year at youth level with Bayern Munich before moving to Turin in 2022. However, that figure seemingly falls £17million short of what Juventus are demanding.

They want around £51million for their prize asset, given his potential versatility. Yildiz can function effectively as a midfielder, up front, and out wide, and. Turkey’s Under-19 manager Soykan Baskar has previously likened him to one of the greatest players of all time.

“Two years ago many big clubs were interested in him,” he was quoted as saying by A Spor. “Yildiz is more talented than Cristiano Ronaldo. His technique with the ball is superior to that of Portuguese.”

Barcelona were also interested in the player before he opted to sign for Juve, with Bayern conceding they were unable to keep hold of Yildiz despite him starring for their Under-19 side in the 2021/22 campaign. And Arsenal’s desire to bring him to the Emirates is in-keeping with the notion that Mikel Arteta is set to opt for youth in the next transfer window in an attempt to safeguard the club’s future.

The Premier League side have also been linked with 15-year-old Aberdeen B centre-back Lewis Carroll. That’s despite the player, who has been compared to John Stones, still awaiting to make his senior debut.

The Sun has reported that Arteta is also closing in on another 15-year-old Rangers midfielder Alexander Smith. The midfielder has already gained international recognition for two different countries, representing USA Under-15s and Scotland Under-16s.

The apparent shift in transfer policy is an intriguing one, given Arsenal spent more than £200million last summer to aid their Premier League title challenge. But amid Financial Fair Play restrictions, their spending will be limited in the next window, barring big money sales.