Kenan Yildiz: Why Juventus fear their 20‑year‑old magician is Old Trafford‑bound

Whether Bruno Fernandes will still be at Manchester United when the 2026‑27 season kicks off remains a mystery.

About a month ago, Fernandes admitted, as per Sky Sports :

“From the club, I felt, ‘if you go, it’s not that bad for us.’ It hurts me a bit. More than hurting, it makes me sad. I’m a player who has nothing to point to, I’m always available, I always give the best of me.”

Such admissions inevitably raised fresh questions over his long‑term future at Old Trafford, where he did not feel valued.

Adding to the uncertainty, his closest ally, Ruben Amorim, has also departed . Fernandes himself conceded one of his reasons for staying: “The conversation with the manager also made me stay,” suggesting he could easily have left last summer.

While most United fans hope their Portuguese magnifico will stay, his contract runs until the summer of 2027, reports relayed by The Peoples Person suggest he may yet seek a fresh start.

Meanwhile, Calciomercato.it speculate that Saudi Pro League sides are preparing another move for what they describe as “United’s only glimmer of light in recent years: Bruno Fernandes .”

Should the 31‑year‑old depart, the Italian outlet claim Juventus fear United will go all out to sign their own “Lamine Yamal.”

Francesco Luca writes that one potential replacement is Kenan Yildiz : “The Turk has often been discussed in the Premier League, and the Red Devils, like all the big English clubs, are interested in him.”

United, if determined, could certainly pull off such a deal. As Luca adds, “United aren’t having any financial problems, and Kenan would certainly have been one of the leading candidates to succeed the current captain. And in reality, it can’t be ruled out that the Juventus number 10 might be on that list anyway. This is also why Continassa knows full well they need to close the renewal issue as soon as possible.”

Fernandes is, of course, irreplaceable. His goals, assists, and creative spark are difficult to emulate.

Yet Yildiz, much like Yamal at Barcelona, is proving this season that he can be a one‑man force. The Turkish international’s close control, agility, and vision allow him to glide past defenders and consistently carve out goal‑scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He looks every inch a potential heir to Fernandes.

Ultimately, United are a stronger side with their skipper. A new permanent head coach , expected to arrive in the summer, could build his project around Fernandes’ qualities and use him to lead the club back towards its glory days.

That said, Fernandes’s staying does not rule out INEOS pursuing Yildiz. With Alejandro Garnacho , Marcus Rashford , and Jadon Sancho all shipped out, United lack a natural left‑sided winger. Yildiz could fill that void.

Operating mainly from the left for Juventus, the 20‑year‑old has already delivered 10 goal contributions in 18 league games, numbers impressive enough that have earmarked him for a major move.

Whether that move takes him to Old Trafford, however, remains to be seen. Featured image Valerio Pennicino via Getty Images

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