We’ve been so fixated on Roma’s transfer wish list—which is filled primarily with aggressive and crafty wingers—and the potential sales of players like Matías Soulé or Manu Koné that we may have overlooked the possibility of the Giallorossi losing players to free agency. While Roma is busy working away on new deals for the club’s three senatori, Gianluca Mancini, Bryan Cristante and Lorenzo Pellegrini, a stalwart of Gian Piero Gasperini’s defense just left the building unnoticed.
Zeki Çelik is a Roma
player no more…
According to Fabrizio Romano and Gianluca Di Marzio, Çelik is poised to sign a three-year deal with Juventus. While I’ll concede he looks good in black and white, signing with one of Roma’s fiercest rivals is quite shocking. For months, we’ve been told that a new deal between Roma and Çelik was a foregone conclusion, only to see the Old Lady snatch up the talented Turkish wing-back under the cover of, well, not night, but evening (or Canadian wildfire smoke if you’re currently in the northeastern part of the United States).
Çelik had an up-and-down start to his Roma career but has really solidified his place in the back line over the past two seasons, making 88 appearances in all competitions since the start of the 2024-2025 season. He may not be a worldbeater, but this will leave a sizeable hole in Roma’s rotation and put another item on Tony D’Amico’s summer to-do list.
