ARDA GULER announced himself at the European Championships two years ago.
And this summer, Turkey are set to introduce another outrageous talent to the world – Kenan Yildiz.
Sign up for the Arsenal newsletter
Thank you!
Kenan Yildiz won the Serie A Rising Star award after his excellent season Credit: Getty
Along with Arda Guler, Yildiz represents a new golden generation for Turkey Credit: Getty
The left winger was part of the Euro 2024 squad and started all but one game, but he never completed a full 90 minutes at the tournament and was still considered a raw talent.
Two years on, he has rapidly become one of Juventus‘ star players and looks an entirely different proposition.
Yildiz, who turned 21 last month, entered the Euros with just 32 senior appearances to his name and four goals.
Since that tournament he was named Serie A’s Best Under-23 Player for the 2025–26 season, receiving the league’s “Rising Star” award after scoring 10 goals and providing six assists.
MEGA GUIDE
World Cup 2026 tips: Phase by phase betting predictions
HEART HELL
Christian Eriksen collapses on pitch again five years after ‘dying for 5 mins’
He also scored 12 goals and laid on nine assists in all competitions the season prior.
Turkey now have the spine of a dangerous team with Guler and Yildiz spearheading their efforts while Ugurcan Cakir is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers at the tournament.
But Yildiz, who speaks four languages (English, Turkish, Italian and German), could have easily been pulling on another jersey.
He was born in Regensberg, Germany, about 65 miles away from Munich. His father Turkish and his mother German, he spent his youth in the country and joined Bayern Munich at seven-years-old.
WORLD CUP 2026 FREE BETS AND SIGN UP OFFERS
Yildiz has alerted every major club in Europe with his electric displays Credit: Getty
Yildiz remained with Bayern all the way up to 2022 where he often captained their under-19 team and was a star in the making.
However, when his contract expired in the summer of that year, Yildiz left Bayern stunned when he turned down their new deals and left the club.
Barcelona and Juventus battled to secure him with the latter finally winning the race.
But why give up playing for Bayern Munich, one of the biggest teams in Europe?
Yildiz explained: “Because Juventus offered me better opportunities. The project was convincing and I felt at ease since the first moment.
“I had a lot of problems there [at Bayern] and I never felt trusted. There was always someone better than me.”
Many players with dual nationality flirt with playing for one country during their youth career before making the switch at senior level.
There is a new wave of young talent in the Turkey team Credit: Reuters
Jamal Musiala played with England up to under-21 level before switching to Germany. Delcan Rice played for Ireland at youth level (and got three senior caps) before switching to England.
But Yildiz always represented Turkey from U17 upwards. When asked why, the little bit of resentment he has for Bayern and German football shines through.
He said: “They didn’t think I was a good player in Germany. They were constantly calling others. I was not the only one aware of my talents.”
While Guler is a graceful technician, Yildiz is explosive and direct. Every time he gets the ball with a defender in front of him, the crowd knows something is about to happen.
It’s a rare breed of player in today’s game, so it’s easy to see why he has become such a sought-after commodity.
Arsenal have long been linked with a move for Yildiz and it’s no secret the club want to improve the left-side of their attack.
It’s believed that Morgan Rogers is their main target right now, but thr Turkish superstar looks like a can’t-miss talent who, at a similar price, is younger with potentially a higher upside.
Liverpool have also been linked with the winger, but so has Real Madrid. After Juventus failed to qualify for the Champions League, perhaps they will be tempted to sell.
Yildiz will lead Turkey in Group D against the USA, Paraguay and Australia.
World Cup 2026 – all the info
LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!
This year’s World Cup will be like no other as a record-breaking 48 nations compete to lift football’s biggest prize.
England manager Thomas Tuchel is hoping to finally bring football home after a 60-year drought.
But footballing legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have other plans in what will likely be their final World Cup appearance.
JattvibeSport have got everything you need for the huge tournament
LATEST NEWS
KEY INFO
VIDEO
TIPS AND BETTING
If you click a link in this article, we will earn affiliate revenue.
