Real Madrid are exploring a potential agreement with Juventus regarding winger Kenan Yildiz, according to reports in Italy. The La Liga club have reportedly asked to be informed of any changes to the 21-year-old’s situation, despite Juventus currently maintaining he is not for sale this summer.
Yildiz has established himself as a prominent young talent since breaking into the Juventus first team in 2023, accumulating 27 goals in 130 appearances for the Serie A side. He followed up a 12-goal season in 2024-25 with 11 goals in all competitions this season under manager Luciano Spalletti.
Tuttosport speculate that Real Madrid could facilitate a deal by offering striker Gonzalo Garcia to Juventus in exchange. The Athletic also report that Real may be willing to offload Garcia to create transfer funds. Yildiz is currently under contract with Juventus until 2030, presenting a potential obstacle to any swift agreement.
This interest in Yildiz coincides with Real Madrid’s pursuit of former manager Jose Mourinho. BBC Sport understands that Los Blancos are in advanced negotiations with the Portuguese coach for a return to the Bernabeu, where he managed between 2011 and 2013, winning three trophies. Real president Florentino Perez has identified Mourinho as his preferred candidate to replace Alvaro Arbeloa.
Arbeloa stepped up from Real’s academy in January following the dismissal of Xabi Alonso after just eight months in charge. Despite a respectable win rate of 60% during his tenure, Arbeloa has been unable to deliver major silverware, with Real finishing second in La Liga to Barcelona and being eliminated from both the Champions League and Copa del Rey. The club is therefore seeking a more experienced manager to return them to trophy-winning form.
Yildiz will be looking to rediscover his goalscoring touch ahead of representing Turkey at the World Cup this summer, where they face Australia, Paraguay, and the United States in Group D. A move to Real Madrid would represent a significant step up in his career, offering him the opportunity to compete at the highest level.
