Juventus hijack Celik’s Roma renewal in surprise coup | OneFootball

Zeki Celik is set to become a Juventus player, with the Bianconeri pulling off a stunning late raid on a deal Roma believed was done.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Juventus have closed the signing of the Turkey defender on a free transfer, with Celik having already completed his medical at the J Medical centre and his agents finalising the last contractual details on a three-year deal.

Only the official announcements remain, expected within hours. The operation was conducted at speed and in silence, a “blitz with the headlights off,” driven decisively by sporting director Frederic Massara, just as everything appeared set for the player to re-sign with Roma.

Kenan Yildiz of Juventus and Roma defender Zeki Celik face off in Turin (@officialasroma)

Celik’s Roma renewal collapses at the final hurdle

The twist is a painful one in the capital after Roma had reached an agreement with Celik on a new contract earlier this month, with reports at the time indicating terms worth around €3 million per season had been settled and even signed off, leaving only the announcement outstanding.

Crucially, though, the player’s previous deal had expired on 30 June, meaning he has been a free agent for two weeks, and nothing legally bound him to Roma when Juventus made their move. The Giallorossi, certain of their agreement, could do little to stop it.