Arsenal gets ready to make a big swap deal just hours before the Premier League kicks off.
Arsenal might be ready to make a big swap deal as the summer transfer window nears its end. The Gunners want to bring in more new players before the window closes. So far this summer, they’ve signed Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis, and Piero Hincapie.
They’ve also agreed on a £51 million deal with Aston Villa to sign defender Ezri Konsa, who can play both center-back and right-back. Arsenal are still looking for another forward, but their interest in Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior ended after he signed a new six-year deal with Madrid.
The Gunners are still keen on Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, but they didn’t want to match Chelsea’s record-breaking £117 million bid to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.
Arsenal start their Premier League season on Friday, hosting the newly-promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium.
Now, manager Mikel Arteta’s team is reportedly planning a surprise move for a player who hasn’t been talked about much lately. According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal are again interested in Kenan Yildiz, a forward who plays for Juventus.
The club has made new contact with Yildiz’s agents. On the other side, Juventus may be interested in signing Arsenal’s forward Gabriel Martinelli. Galatasaray made a £38.6 million offer for Martinelli earlier in the window, but he reportedly told them he isn’t interested in moving to Turkey.
Arsenal were open to selling Martinelli if they got a good offer before the transfer window closes on September 1.
Yildiz, a Turkey international who played in the World Cup, has impressed in Turin since moving from Bayern Munich in 2022. Last season, he scored 10 goals and made six assists in Serie A. At 21 years old, he’s seen as one of the brightest young talents in football.
Juventus finished sixth in Serie A last season, so they’ll be playing in the Europa League this year.
The Independent says Juventus would want at least £60 million to sell Yildiz. If Arsenal included Martinelli in a swap deal, they might have to pay extra money too.
It’s possible Arsenal could wait for future transfer windows to make the move, but that might mean Arteta won’t have the squad he wants for the 2026/27 season start.