Manchester United are seriously contemplating a bid for Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, according to reports in the Italian media.
Tuttomercatoweb‘s editor Niccolo Ceccarini claims that the Red Devils are “ready to test the waters” to see whether Juve would be willing to sell the Turkish international.
It is believed that the Bianconeri have set an asking price of around €80m (£67m) but they may come under pressure to offload players if they don’t qualify for the Champions League.
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The Serie A side have recently sacked head coach Thiago Motta and replaced him with Igor Tudor, with the club currently sitting 5th in the table.
They are just a point outside the top four but their recent form has been poor, and if they fail to secure qualification, Yildiz may have to be sold to fill a hole in their finances.
Yildiz has been on United’s radar for a while
Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg first linked the 19-year-old with a switch to Old Trafford back in early December.
The Red Devils are not the only Premier League club keeping tabs on Yildiz, though, with Liverpool and Arsenal also said to be keen on the teenager.
He could be a perfect replacement for Rashford
Yildiz would be an ideal fit for Ruben Amorim’s front three. He is ostensibly a No.10 who can also play on both flanks.
Most of his game time has come on the left wing this season so if Marcus Rashford is sold to Aston Villa for £40m, the young Turkish star could take his place in the first-team squad.
The departures of Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony could all help fund a move to sign Yildiz. All three players are deemed surplus to requirements by United.
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