Juventus Accused Of ‘Hiding’ Behind Kenan Yildiz As Pundit Fires Wonderkid Warning

A pundit believes Juventus have been hiding behind the red-hot form of Kenan Yildiz this season.

Kenan Yildiz Urged To Score More

The wonderkid has been one of the standout players in Italy, scoring six goals in his 21 appearances across all competitions, and several clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, have been linked with him.

There is, however, uncertainty around his long-term future in Turin, and he has yet to agree a new deal. Negotiations with Yildiz stalled over his salary demands, but the hierarchy are in no rush to resolve the stand-off.

On the pitch, meanwhile, Yildiz has been untouchable, scoring crucial goals against Inter Milan, Udinese, Cagliari and Napoli.

But despite his best efforts, Juventus are fifth in Serie A, seven points adrift of leaders Inter Milan.

Speaking on Sky Sport Club, pundit Giancarlo Marocchi shared his belief that Yildiz’s individual heroics have helped cover up wider faults in the side, although he is adamant the youngster must focus on scoring more often.

“We know what the defects are, but if you put this intensity, you can make people see the strengths more and hide the defects,” said Marocchi. “If you pass the ball to Yildiz, you hide things.

“He has to study [Alessandro] Del Piero’s history because he was born with [Marcello] Lippi. He played with three attackers, and he often returned to defend, but he understood that the most important thing was to score goals.

“So, you saw him less in the midfield defending and with his quality, he started to score.

“Yildiz is perfect for Spalletti because he does everything, but he needs to be a bit more decisive up front and maybe help less in defence.”

Kenan Yıldız footwork 🥵#UCL pic.twitter.com/S7UfR13D4G

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 15, 2025

New Kenan Yildiz Contract Offer Imminent

According to Tuttosport, Juventus are poised to make a new offer to extend the forward’s deal.

His father, Engin, is said to have landed in Turin last week, and he will shortly meet with club directors. Super-agent Jorge Mendes, who unofficially represents the player, will also be present.

Yildiz’s contract runs down in June 2029, but there is a desire to reach a compromise sooner rather than later.

The talent is requesting €6million per season, and the club are thought to be ‘eager’ to match it. Juventus’ owners rejected a $1bn takeover and are not cash-strapped, so can afford the salary uplift.

Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus’ director of football strategy, provided an update on the situation at the weekend.

“Kenan is important for us. He has a long-term contract,” he said. “It’s not something that can be resolved in a week, but the common desire is to move forward together.

“There’s no urgency because his contract isn’t expiring in six months. We’re aware of the lad’s value, and we want to extend his contract in a manner befitting his status.”