Roma fail to reach agreement with Celik for renewal

Present and future, all in one night. Roma-Juventus is a match with a thousand meanings, and it will be a special one for Celik as well.

He’s been a key player in the last year, first for Ranieri and then for Gasperini, but he’s packing his bags. His contract is expiring, and there’s no sign of a renewal.

The final straw came a few weeks ago when the player’s entourage asked for a €4 million salary. Too much for a club aiming to lower their wage bill.

And the Growth Decree doesn’t matter, especially since a €4 million extension would risk creating an unpleasant domino effect for Massara, who will already have enough work to do next summer.

Zeki’s fate is precisely Juventus, who have been courting him for months.

Rumors of an agreement between the parties were promptly denied by his agent in a statement: “The focus is on achieving our objectives with Roma.” A wise move given the big match coming up. A lackluster performance by the Turk would fuel an endless series of controversies.

But, as Il Messaggero reports, Celik’s relationship with Roma is coming to an end, and truth be told, until just over a year ago, no one would have been too desperate.

Having arrived in 2022 but never managed to establish himself, even in 2024 under Mourinho he finished behind Karsdorp and Kristensen in the pecking order. Then came the turning point with Sir Claudio, who found in him a useful addition to the defensive line Gasp was happy to inherit.

A goal and four assists this season, but he’s looked underwhelming in recent games. The hope is that it’s simply a matter of fatigue. Speaking of the transfer market: the manager has asked for a replacement, but on the left, because the plan for next year is to bring Wesley back to the right. Bernasconi and Fortini are on the list. The spotlight is also on the defense: Hoffenheim’s Kabak has been offered by Celik’s agent.