Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso is willing to sell anyone except French forward Kylian Mbappe to sign Juventus' star Kenan Yildiz, according to agent Giovanni Branchini. The Turkish international has garnered interest from multiple European clubs, and Alonso, who was winding down his playing career at Bayern Munich while the winger was coming through the German side's youth academy, is eager for a reunion.
Yildiz already a star at Juventus
Yildiz was promoted from Juventus' U-19 side to the senior team in 2023 and enjoyed his breakthrough campaign last term, managing 12 goals and nine assists in 52 matches across all competitions, including the Club World Cup. He is reportedly valued at €100 million by the Bianconeri, as they aim to create a champion side revolving around him. Notably, he captained Juventus against Los Blancos in their latest Champions League meeting, where he featured for 74 minutes. Accumulating six goal contributions – four goals and two assists – in 10 matches, he is enjoying a stellar season so far.
AdvertisementAFPAgent reveals Alonso's admiration for Yildiz
Branchini told : "Xabi Alonso wants Yildiz at Real Madrid. Xabi is willing to let anyone go to sign him, except Mbappe. Juventus is currently asking for 100 million euros but everyone does that for everyone, so you find someone who will give it to you. Of course, then there's the case of Nico Williams, who the whole world wants, but he renews with Athletic and stays there. Yildiz was a clear request [from Alonso] to the owners, he likes him a lot."
Alonso's admiration of the 20-year-old was witnessed in the press conference before their meeting on Wednesday. The Spaniard said: "[Juventus] have very good players, and Yildiz is one of them. He's had a fantastic development. I know him. He was at Bayern Munich when I was there. Seeing his progress makes me very happy."
Alonso represented Bayern from 2014 to 2017 before announcing his retirement from the sport. Yildiz, on the other hand, was admitted to the Bavarians' youth setup in 2012 from Regensburg. Should Madrid end up signing the Juventus star, it would not only reunite Yildiz with Alonso, but also with Arda Guler, who shares the dressing room with the Regensburg-born player at the Turkey national team.
Yildiz eager to play for Real Madrid?
While there have been no discussions between Madrid and Juventus regarding Yildiz's potential future, the forward has hinted at his intention of representing Los Blancos in the future. While not taking the club's name, he indicated that playing at the Bernabeu is something he would be happy to do. He mentioned: "Every kid dreams of playing in that stadium. I think it's one of the most beautiful in the world, and being able to play there now is like a dream come true. Facing a club like Real Madrid in the Champions League is simply incredible."
Getty Images SportReal ready for Alonso's first Clasico
Alonso is gearing up for his first Clasico clash against Barcelona as Real Madrid boss. The capital club were beaten by the Catalan side each time they met last season, but Los Blancos hope the arrival of a new manager and their bright start to the season will propel them to a home win on Sunday. After nine matches in La Liga, Real sit atop the table with 24 points. Hansi Flick's Barca have a two-point deficit and sit second. Hence, it's going to be a high-octane clash where there won't be any favourites. However, Barca have been more clinical this season, as they have scored 24 goals, the most so far in the domestic league, whereas Madrid have managed four fewer. What's more surprising is that, despite scoring more goals than Real, there's no Barca player in the top-five scorers' list. Mbappe leads the chart with 10, while Vinicius sits fifth with five.