David Luiz Says Juventus Have A Real ‘Phenomenon’ In Their Ranks
The Brazil icon is a big fan of the Juventus prodigy.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 10 December 2025
Pafos defender David Luiz has hailed Juventus prodigy Kenan Yildiz, deeming him a ‘phenomenon’ as he also praised numerous other Juve players.
David Luiz says Kenan Yildiz has an ‘incredible style’
Yildiz has gone from strength to strength since breaking into the Juventus first team in 2023.
At just 20 years of age, the Turkiye international has already clocked up 103 appearances for the Bianconeri.
Yildiz is on six goals and five assists for Juve this season, building on last term’s 21 goal contributions.
The Juve youngster is expected to start in Wednesday night’s Champions League home meeting with Pafos.
Luiz will have his work cut out trying to keep Yildiz and co at bay at the Allianz Stadium, with the hosts clear favourites to win.
The 38-year-old spoke to the Italian press ahead of the game and praised a number of Juve players, including Yildiz.
“Yildiz is a phenomenon,” Luiz told Gazzetta dello Sport when asked which Juve players he liked.
“He has an incredible style, I love watching him.”
Kenan Yildiz wins the Rising Star of the Month award for November 🤩 pic.twitter.com/a5RWrzJ7Wy
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) December 10, 2025
Luiz also lauded Marcus Thuram, Francisco Conceicao and Manuel Locatelli.
He continued: “But Juve also have Thuram, plus Conceicao is incredibly quick, the defense is solid, and Locatelli is experienced.”
Luiz then said of Juve head coach Luciano Spalletti: “I’ve known Spalletti for a long time.
“I know how much he loves football, he’s a hard worker, he spends hours studying his opponents.
“He always looks for a plan to win within the game.”
Are Juventus at risk of losing Kenan Yildiz in January window?
Yildiz’s Juve contract runs until the summer of 2029.
Therefore, there’s a long way to go before the Bianconeri need to worry about losing him for next to nothing.
However, that’s not to say the game’s richest clubs won’t be trying their luck any time soon.
Journalist Gianni Balzarini recently said on his YouTube channel that Arsenal were circling around Yildiz.
“There has been real contact with Arsenal,” he said. “That is, Arsenal have asked for information, it’s part of the game.
“There’s no negotiation, let’s be clear, but they have asked for information about this player.”
Real Madrid are also reportedly eyeing Yildiz as contract talks between his camp and Juve continue.
“Calm down,” Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus’ director of football strategy, recently said.
“Everyone wants to do this. With balance and calm, anything can be done.”
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
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