Liverpool Circle Juventus Winger Yildiz as Arsenal Rival; Chiesa Loan Negotiations Intensify

Liverpool have made their interest in Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz known, joining Arsenal in the hunt for the Turkish international, who has been valued in the region of £68m.

The Merseyside club's investment of over £400m in new faces last summer—following their 20th league title—has yielded disappointing returns during a campaign that has tested Arne Slot's credentials. A run of nine defeats across 12 matches left the manager facing mounting pressure, though Liverpool have steadied the ship in recent weeks despite performances remaining uninspired.

The absence of key figures including Luis Diaz and Trent Alexander-Arnold has compounded matters, with numerous summer acquisitions struggling to make an impact. Slot, who has come under fire for tactical missteps, remains among the frontrunners to become the next Premier League casualty in the dugout.

Liverpool's pursuit of attacking talent appears to be gaining momentum, particularly following their failure to land Antoine Semenyo, who completed a move to Manchester City. Transfer conversations with Juventus have revolved around Chiesa, the Italian club's preferred target on loan, though Liverpool have shown reluctance to let the versatile forward depart despite his restricted minutes this term.

According to reports, the Reds have strategically leveraged Chiesa discussions to advance their position on Yildiz, actively pushing negotiations with the Serie A outfit over the Turkish winger.

Slot offered measured optimism when addressing his side's trajectory ahead of this weekend's fixture against Burnley. "Ideally 11 games unbeaten is 11 wins in a row – that's what you're aiming for," he remarked. "That might be realistic for some teams but from where we were when we conceded the fourth goal against PSV to where we are now, I think we're in a much better place."

The manager acknowledged the need for continued development. "There's still enough room for improvement but that was the same last season when we were top of the Premier League and top of the Champions League," he added.

Slot pointed to a shift in defensive solidity as a marker of recent improvement. "In the last 11 games we've hardly conceded chances but in the period before that when we lost a lot of games, we created more chances but conceded more," he explained. "People look back and say 'please give us those open games again' but results weren't what we wanted. We have to find a balance and we will because I can see the players growing and getting belief again."