The Talent Calendar
Ultimately, Bayern Munich were unable to keep top talent Kenan Yildiz. A long list of top clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and Juventus wanted the 17-year-old, whose contract was expiring in Munich. “Yildiz is a young and talented player, and we would have liked to keep him,” Bayern director of sport Hasan Salihamidzic said in a press release. “But we were unable and unwilling to fulfill his financial demands. Juventus had no such issues and signed him until 2025. The Bianconeri were not only able to fulfill his financial demands but also offered the right sporting project.
“Juve are banking on him,” Transfermarkt Turkey editor Sinan Yener said. And Yildiz’s performances underline that he is happy in Turin. The attacking midfielder has scored nine goals and five assists in 17 games for Juventus’ U19. A great start that has already been recognized by the Italian press. Turin’s newspaper Tuttosport described Yildiz as Paul Pogba’s success, who was signed from United’s academy in 2012 on a free transfer. “Pogba aside, Federico Chiesa and Ángel Di Maria are Yildiz’s role models,” Yener said. “His movements on the pitch most closely match those of the Brazilian Kaká. In Germany, he was often compared to Mesut Özil. But he is perhaps more trigger-happy in front of goal.”
It is, therefore, not surprising that Yildiz was one of the 60 players nominated for the 2022 Golden Boy Award, which is annually handed out to the most promising U21 player in the world. “He is a typical playmaker; he has developed well physically and has worked on his fitness; he is a player who likes to play vertically with an aim to get the ball quickly into the box,” Yener said. “He perhaps needs to become a bit calmer on the ball,” Yener added when asked about the player’s weaknesses.
Bellingham, Chukwuemeka & Co. – The 60 nominees for the 2022 Golden Boy award
Jude Bellingham | BVB | England | Market value: €80m
© imago images
Pedri | Barcelona | Spain | Market value: €80m
© imago images
Jamal Musiala | Bayern Munich | Germany | Market value: €65m
© imago images
Gavi | Barcelona | Spain | Market value: €60m
© imago images
Ansu Fati | Barcelona | Spain | Market value: €60m
© imago images
Eduardo Camavinga | Real Madrid | France | Market value: €55m
© imago images
Yéremy Pino | Villarreal | Spain | Market value: €40m
© imago images
Nuno Mendes | Sporting/PSG | Portugal | Market value: €40m
© imago images
Giovanni Reyna | BVB | USA | Market value: €35m
© imago images
Karim Adeyemi | RB Salzburg/BVB | Germany | Market value: €35m
© imago images
Ryan Gravenberch | Ajax/Bayern Munich | Netherlands | Market value: €35m
© imago images
Josko Gvardiol | RB Leipzig | Croatia | Market value: €35m
© imago images
Hugo Ekitike | Stade Reims/PSG | France | Market value: €28m
© imago images
Harvey Elliott | Liverpool | England | Market value: €22m
© imago images
Nico González | Barcelona/Valencia | Spain | Market value: €20m
© imago images
Castello Lukeba | Lyon | France | Market value: €20m
© imago images
Anthony Elanga | Man United | Sweden | Market value: €20m
© imago images
Adam Hlozek | Sparta Prague/ Bayer 04 | Czech Republic | Market value: €19m
© imago images
Aaron Hickey | Bologna/Brentford | Scotland | Market value: €18m
© imago images
Noni Madueke | PSV | England | Market value: €18m
© imago images
Arnaud Kalimuendo | Lens/PSG/Rennes | France | Market value: €18m
© imago images
Destiny Udogie| Hellas/Udinese | Italy | Market value: €17m
© imago images
Piero Hincapié | Bayer Leverkusen | Ecuador | Market value: €17m
© imago images
Youssoufa Moukoko | BVB | Germany | Market value: €15m
© imago images
Pape Matar Sarr | Metz/Spurs | Senegal | Market value: €15m
© imago images
Mohamed-Ali Cho | Angers/Real Sociedad | France | Market value: €15m
© imago images
Yunus Musah | Valencia | USA | Market value: €15m
© imago images
Fábio Silva | Wolves/Anderlecht | Portugal | Market value: €15m
© imago images
Fábio Carvalho | Fulham/Liverpool | Portugal | Market value: €12m
© imago images
Nicola Zalewski | Roma | Poland | Market value: €12m
© imago images
Nico Williams | Athletic Club | Spain | Market value: €12m
© imago images
Giorgio Scalvini | Atalanta | Italy | Market value: €10m
© imago images
Benjamin Sesko | RB Salzburg | Slovenia | Market value: €10m
© imago images
Ansgar Knauff | Frankfurt (on loan from BVB) | Germany | Market value: €10m
© imago images
Wilfried Gnonto | FC Zürich | Italy | Market value: €10m
© imago images
Kristjan Asllani | Empoli/Inter | Albania | Market value: €10m
© imago images
Brian Brobbey | Ajax | Netherlands | Market value: €9m
© imago images
Reinier | BVB/Real Madrid | Brazil | Market value: €8m
© imago images
Eliot Matazo | Monaco | Belgium | Market value: €8m
© imago images
Francisco Conceição | Porto/Ajax | Portugal | Market value: €8m
© imago images
Jan Thielmann | 1.FC Köln | Germany | Market value: €7.5m
© imago images
Lucien Agoumé | Stade Brest (on loan from Inter) | France | Market value: €7m
© imago images
Mattia Viti | Empoli/Nice | Italy | Market value: €7m
© imago images
Cole Palmer | Man City | England | Market value: €6m
© imago images
Carney Chukwuemeka | Villa/Chelsea | England | Market value: €6m
© imago images
Ki-Jana Hoever | Wolves/PSV | Netherlands | Market value: €6m
© imago images
Paulo Bernardo | Benfica | Portugal | Market value: €5m
© imago images
Sebastiano Esposito | Basle/Anderlecht (on loan from Inter) | Italy | Market value: €5m
© imago images
Henrique Araújo | Benfica B | Portugal | Market value: €5m
© imago images
Fabio Miretti | Juventus | Italy | Market value: €5m
© imago images
Stipe Biuk | Hajduk Split | Croatia | Market value: €4.5m
© imago images
Álex Balde | Barcelona B | Spain | Market value: €4m
© imago images
Matteo Cancellieri | Hellas/Lazio | Italy | Market value: €3m
© imago images
Bjorn Meijer | Groningen/Brugge | Netherlands | Market value: €3m
© imago images
Matías Soulé | Juventus U23 | Argentina | Market value: €2.5m
© imago images
Alejandro Garnacho | Man United | Argentina | Market value: €2m
© imago images
Mathys Tel | Rennes/Bayern Munich | France | Market value: €2m
© imago images
Karamoko Dembélé | Celtic/Brestois | France | Market value: €0.25m
© imago images
Diego Moreira | Benfica U19 | Portugal | Market value: –
© imago images
Kenan Yildiz | Bayern Munich/Juventus | Turkey | Market value: –
© imago images
Yildiz started playing as a five-year-old for SV Sallern Regensburg, and after just one year, he joined the academy of the then-third-division side SSV Jahn. There he was quickly discovered by Bayern, where he played for ten years. “He was considered one of the biggest talents in Munich,” Yener said. “Losing him on a free transfer really hurt the club.”
Internationally, Yildiz represents Turkey and already made his debut for the U21. Previously, the attacking midfielder missed the U17 European Championship last May with a ligament injury. “Germany, too, have him on the radar, but the Turkish football federation will go all in for the player,” Yener said. “It won’t be much longer until he manages to be called up to the senior national team.” Juve fans have also been demanding that Yildiz should receive a chance with the first team and have celebrated the free transfer as a coup on the transfer market.
From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2004. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.
Homepage
