Newcastle & Fulham join Juventus in the race for out-of-contract Serie A wing-back | OneFootball

Juventus have some company in the race for Roma right-back Zeki Celik, who is expected to become a free agent at the end of the season.

The Turkish star is a Bursaspor youth product who also had early-career experiences at Bursa Nilüfer and Istanbulspor, before joining LOSC Lille in 2022.

During his time in France, the Bursa native helped his club win a shock Ligue 1 title at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain.

In 2022, Celik joined Roma, and he’s been a stalwart at the Stadio Olimpico ever since. However, the Giallorossi have thus far failed to secure his services beyond his current campaign, as the player appears adamant about embarking on a new career chapter.

In recent months, Juventus emerged as one of the leading candidates to sign Celik. Nevertheless, signing the Turkish international won’t be easy amidst the strongest competition for his services.

Juventus, Newcastle & Fulham vying for Zeki Celik

According to Il Corriere dello Sport via TuttoJuve, the Bianconeri have at least three challengers in the race for Celik, including two in the Premier League.

The Roman newspaper claims Newcastle United and Fulham are both following the wing-back with great interest.

(Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

The English duo wouldn’t struggle to meet Zelik’s contract demands, especially the Magpies, who are backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Finally, the source mentions Bundesliga side Stuttgart as another club seeking the services of the departing Roma player.

Why Celik is set to leave Roma

Celik reportedly requested a net salary of €4 million to extend his time at Roma. However, the Italian capital side isn’t willing to negotiate a new deal at these figures.

For their part, Juventus have been trying to trim their wage bill, but free agents often command hefty salaries, so it remains to be seen if Damien Comolli would be willing to satisfy the player’s requests.

The Bianconeri already signed a right-back in January, bringing in Emil Holm from Bologna. However, the Swede’s future remains undecided, as he only signed on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.