Breaking down Man Utd’s Zeki Celik move after transfer enquiry and Roma role evolution | OneFootball

Manchester United have made an enquiry for Zeki Celik, but who is the Roma right-back and how would he fit in at Old Trafford – or his other potential landing spots?

TEAMtalk revealed this week that Celik is attracting interest from five Premier League clubs, with Man Utd among those to have reached out about his situation. The Turkish international is currently in the last year of his contract with Serie A leaders Roma.

Man Utd, along with rivals Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea have enquired about Celik ahead of the January transfer window in case he doesn’t agree a new deal in the Italian capital.

It’s a glowing testament to how his form has improved throughout 2025. Towards the end of the last January transfer window, his closest followers were Fulham.

But Claudio Ranieri wanted to keep Celik at Roma and inspired some better form from him over the second half of the season, which he has preserved this term under new boss Gian Piero Gasperini.

If the former Lille man was to arrive in the Premier League, then, he would do so on an upward trajectory (and at a prime age of 28).

But would Man Utd be the right move for him? We’ve taken a closer look at how he would fit in tactically there, as well as his other touted destinations.

How Celik would fit in at Man Utd

Like Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd side, Roma currently set up with a back three. In fact, their formation is usually a version of the familiar 3-4-2-1 system.

Celik can occupy a couple of different roles in that shape. He arrived at the club as a right-back, so can play as a wing-back. However, some of his better games this year have come on the right-hand side of the back three.

As we’ve been reporting, Man Utd want to strengthen in the right wing-back position. Celik is capable of playing there, but isn’t the best for goal contributions.

More recently, he has been getting used to breaking forward, so he could hone his craft as a wing-back.

As stated, though, he arguably slots in more comfortably as a right-sided centre-back. For United, Amorim hasn’t been averse to using converted full-backs in such a role, with Noussair Mazraoui one example that Celik could imitate.

How Celik compares to Mazraoui and Dalot

If he was to join Man Utd, Celik would primarily compete with Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot as a right-back.

Stylistically, Celik is more similar to Mazraoui in terms of the roles he occupies, compared to versatile wing-back Dalot.

Their stats this season, adjusted per 90 minutes, show that Celik hasn’t actually outperformed United’s current options in too many areas.

Mazraoui outranks him for tackles (3.7 over 1.9), take-ons completed (1.5 over 0.5), interceptions (1.5 over 0.7), clearances (3.0 over 2.3) and ball recoveries (6.6 over 3.8).

Celik does tend to create a chance every game, though – but underperforms Dalot with his average on that front (1.0 compared to 1.3).

One area Celik ranks more highly for is aerial duels, winning 1.8 per 90 minutes compared to Mazraoui’s 1.1 and Dalot’s 1.2.

But it’s fair to say that if United are looking for a new wing-back to burst down the flank – and especially considering they could use Amad Diallo, a natural winger there – Celik might not be the exact profile they need.

Mazraoui was one of their most-used players last season, so bringing in someone to cover similar roles may lessen the burden – but equally, might not be the wisest solution if they want to add something genuinely different.

Would he be a better fit for other suitors?

While the Man Utd move would have pros and cons, Celik will also have some thinking to do about other destinations (as well as the opportunity of signing a new deal with Roma, where he has been since 2022).

So what would the logic behind any rival moves be?

Liverpool – The departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer has left Liverpool with a right-back conundrum. They replaced the Real Madrid man with Jeremie Frimpong, another attack-minded player who hasn’t quite found his place in their lineup yet.

Frimpong has even been used as a winger on occasion, so there might still be a vacancy for a more defensively resolute right-back to come in and compete with Conor Bradley.

Man City – Pep Guardiola has turned to Matheus Nunes as his preferred right-back recently, despite originally signing him from Wolves as a midfielder. Thus, Celik would be more of a specialist option.

Guardiola’s full-backs are given fluid roles, sometimes tasked with stepping into central positions, which Celik has some degree of experience with given he currently plays in a fluid Gasperini system.

Arsenal – Most of Arsenal’s full-backs are known for being defensively sound, such as Ben White, who started his career as a centre-half. White’s future has recently been called into question after he lost his place to Jurrien Timber, so if he was to leave, a replacement might be needed.

Celik doesn’t play in a back four for his current club, but his mix of defensive and offensive skills should serve him well in such a system.

Chelsea – Whether or not Chelsea move for a new right-back may depend on how long Reece James is able to preserve his fitness for. Enzo Maresca’s side currently play with a back four, with Malo Gusto and Josh Acheampong their other options at right-back (but the latter preferred centrally at the moment).

Given the range of potential options, Celik will have a lot to assess. In the meantime, he’ll hope to keep performing well for Roma in order to keep making his signature look as appealing as possible – whether that’s for a renewal or a new club.