According to The Athletic, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta made a formal approach to Juventus to assess the 21-year-old Turkey international's availability as they searched for a new left winger.
The response was immediate and unambiguous.
Romano posted on June 9: "No chances for Kenan Yildiz exit this summer. Never been a topic as Juventus closed doors already months ago. New deal signed in February, key player and staying even without UCL."
Yildiz scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists in 47 appearances for Juventus across all competitions last season. He operates primarily as a left winger but is capable of playing as a second striker and has been described in Italian media as the club's most indispensable player — one journalist in La Repubblica called him "the wizard who bewitches matches."
His commitment to Turin was formalised in February, when he signed a new contract through 2030. Reports at the time indicated his salary jumped from approximately €1.7 million per season to around €6 million net, with bonuses, making him one of the club's top earners. Juventus framed the renewal explicitly as a move to fend off mounting interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.
Notably, Juventus failed to qualify for the Champions League for the 2026-27 season — a factor Arsenal had assessed as potentially softening the club's resolve to keep him. It made no difference.
Arsenal are now looking elsewhere for left-wing reinforcements. They are also pursuing 16-year-old Jeremy Monga from Leicester City and have shown interest in 18-year-old Paris Saint-Germain defender Emmanuel Mbemba, whose contract with the French champions expires this summer.
The search goes on. Yildiz, however, is no longer part of it.