The Turkish contingent at Juventus has just added another name to its roster.
And seemingly out of nowhere, too.
Juventus announced on Thursday evening that they have signed free-agent defender Zeki Çelik, seemingly taking him right from under the nose of his now-former club Roma, who looked like they were going to sign him to a short-term contract extension just in the same way they had just done with Paulo Dybala. However, now with former Roma sporting director Frederic Massara in Turin as Juventus’
Chief Football Officer, new CEO Giovanni Carnevali took full advantage of those past relationships to get a deal done.
The 29-year old Çelik, who had been at Roma since moving from Lille in 2022, signed a three-year contract through 2029. Juventus will pay the usual ancillary costs of these “free” transfers, with this costing about €1 million, according to the club’s press release.
Here is the official announcement, courtesy of the Juventus press office:
Turin, 16 July 2026 – Juventus Football Club S.p.A. announces that it has signed an employment contract with the player Mehmet Zeki Çelik; as part of the player registration, Juventus will incur ancillary costs of € 1 million, payable during the financial year.
Juventus and the player have signed an employment contract until 30 June 2029.
Check back for more on this developing story.
