Cobolli hits back at Çelik departure with viral Rensch post

Juventus secured Zeki Çelik on Thursday night after Roma believed a deal was complete. The Turkish defender, whose contract had expired, was set to sign a new accord with Roma worth €3–3.2M per year, but changed course and accepted Juventus's offer instead. His agent had initially sought €4M, making him one of Roma's highest-paid players. Çelik departs after four seasons at the club, totalling 151 appearances with 2 goals and 10 assists. Roma's coaching staff had wanted continuity and viewed him as crucial to their plans, particularly after his return from World Cup duties. The surprise departure forces Roma to rethink their wing strategy and adjust plans to deploy Wesley on the right flank, with the club now needing to accelerate recruitment at the position. Juventus's recent appointment of Frederic Massara, Roma's former director, adds another layer to the departure. While Roma will need to adjust their formation, the club are not expected to be severely damaged by his exit. Çelik was considered useful and reliable, though Roma believe a more offensively gifted winger will suit their system better. For Juventus, operating under financial constraints, the free-agent signing represents a solid acquisition with Luciano Spalletti seeking experienced players.

Roma's departure of Zeki Çelik has forced the club to accelerate plans in the transfer market. Moreira remains the primary target to strengthen the wide positions, and Roma have agreed personal terms with the Belgian player: a contract worth €2.5 million per season. However, Strasbourg are holding firm on their valuation and have not budged despite intervention from agent Mendes, who has been working to persuade the French club to reduce their asking price. Strasbourg are demanding between €40 million and €50 million, while Roma are unwilling to exceed €30 million, leaving a significant gap between the two clubs. The impasse has prompted Roma's recruitment team to begin exploring alternative options. Molina has emerged as a right-back target under consideration, though he is expected to wait until the end of the World Cup before making a decision on his future. Roma will need to recruit at least one more full-back beyond Moreira to address the defensive depth required following Çelik's exit.

Crysencio Summerville has signalled his willingness to join Roma, with a fresh round of talks scheduled for 17 July to finalise contract terms. The Dutch winger, who scored in the World Cup opener against Japan, has been Roma's primary target since January, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has made him his top choice. Roma are ready to table an official offer to West Ham once personal terms are agreed. Negotiations have intensified since the World Cup, with Summerville's representatives reportedly reducing their initial demands. Roma are prepared to offer €45 million for the transfer fee and €4 million annually in salary, significantly lower than West Ham's earlier €50 million valuation and the player's original €5.5–6 million wage requests. A definitive answer is expected by Monday, 20 July. The player's agents met Roma's leadership on 14 July to confirm the club's interest, and subsequent meetings have focused on narrowing economic gaps between the parties. West Ham's contract contains a release clause, which has prevented the English club from setting a fixed asking price. Roma must complete the agreement with Summerville before submitting a formal bid to West Ham, though Summerville has reportedly prioritised the giallorossi over competing interest from other clubs.

Juventus secured Zeki Çelik on Thursday night after Roma believed a deal was complete. The Turkish defender, whose contract had expired, was set to sign a new accord with Roma worth €3–3.2M per year, but changed course and accepted Juventus's offer instead. His agent had initially sought €4M, making him one of Roma's highest-paid players. Çelik departs after four seasons at the club, totalling 151 appearances with 2 goals and 10 assists. Roma's coaching staff had wanted continuity and viewed him as crucial to their plans, particularly after his return from World Cup duties. The surprise departure forces Roma to rethink their wing strategy and adjust plans to deploy Wesley on the right flank, with the club now needing to accelerate recruitment at the position. Juventus's recent appointment of Frederic Massara, Roma's former director, adds another layer to the departure. While Roma will need to adjust their formation, the club are not expected to be severely damaged by his exit. Çelik was considered useful and reliable, though Roma believe a more offensively gifted winger will suit their system better. For Juventus, operating under financial constraints, the free-agent signing represents a solid acquisition with Luciano Spalletti seeking experienced players.

Roma's departure of Zeki Çelik has forced the club to accelerate plans in the transfer market. Moreira remains the primary target to strengthen the wide positions, and Roma have agreed personal terms with the Belgian player: a contract worth €2.5 million per season. However, Strasbourg are holding firm on their valuation and have not budged despite intervention from agent Mendes, who has been working to persuade the French club to reduce their asking price. Strasbourg are demanding between €40 million and €50 million, while Roma are unwilling to exceed €30 million, leaving a significant gap between the two clubs. The impasse has prompted Roma's recruitment team to begin exploring alternative options. Molina has emerged as a right-back target under consideration, though he is expected to wait until the end of the World Cup before making a decision on his future. Roma will need to recruit at least one more full-back beyond Moreira to address the defensive depth required following Çelik's exit.

Zeki Çelik completed his move to Juventus on a three-year contract worth 4 million euros per season (including bonuses) after undergoing medical tests, marking the latest in a painful succession of Roma departures to their Serie A rivals. The Turkish right-back leaves after four seasons and 151 appearances, during which he scored two goals. His exit was particularly difficult for head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who was already expecting him at Trigoria. The Roma-Juventus transfer axis has been a recurring wound in the club's history. In summer 1970, under president Alvaro Marchini, three key players departed simultaneously: defender Luciano Spinosi, midfielder Fabio Capello, and forward Fausto Landini. The bleeding continued through the decades with goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, forward Daniel Fonseca (1997), and others following suit. The most traumatic period came in summer 2004, immediately after Roma's title challenge under Fabio Capello: Juventus acquired French defender Jonathan Zebina on a free transfer and Brazilian midfielder Emerson for approximately 28 million euros, the latter's departure accompanied by jeers at the Olimpico. More recent transfers have compounded Roma's pain. Midfielder Miralem Pjanic departed in 2016 after Juventus triggered his 32-million-euro release clause. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who spent two seasons on loan at Roma from Arsenal, joined Juventus permanently. In January 2012, centre-forward Marco Borriello moved to Turin on loan and scored a decisive goal in their title-winning campaign.

Zeki Çelik's move to Juventus has sparked reaction from the Roma community after the Turkish full-back departed despite being on the verge of signing a new contract with the club. The agreement with Roma was reportedly close to completion, needing only his signature, before he opted instead to join Juventus in Turin. While the transfer does not represent a technical blow, it has fuelled discussion given Çelik's apparent imminent stay had seemed assured. Tennist and Roma supporter Cobolli responded to the departure via social media with a photograph of Devyne Rensch in tears, captioned "Forza Roma"—a post that reads as both a pointed message and a signal to move forward from Çelik to players ready to defend the club's colours. The departure resonated across Roma's fanbase, prompting several prominent Giallorossi figures to weigh in publicly. Rapper and Rome native Gemitaiz also addressed Çelik's exit, writing ironically: "Never stop believing in your dreams."

Roma's squad continued intensive pre-season training at the Fulvio Bernardini facility under Gasperini as preparations for the new season gather pace. Working through the heat in Rome, the players are ramping up their conditioning ahead of the campaign. Matías Soulé shared a photograph from the dressing room on social media after completing the third training session, posting alongside Paulo Dybala, Mario Hermoso, Devyne Rensch, Pierluigi Gollini and Vasquez. Soulé captioned the image: "Third session completed with the gang." The post highlighted the squad's commitment to the gruelling preparation work underway at Trigoria.

Roma's 2026–27 season got underway at the Trigoria training ground as players arrived for pre-season, drawing around 100 supporters to Piazzale Dino Viola on a hot summer day with temperatures reaching 34 degrees in the afternoon. The first arrivals included Ghilardi, Angeliño, and Soulé, with supporters greeting the squad enthusiastically throughout the morning. Coach Gasperini arrived without signing autographs or posing for photos but opened his car window to acknowledge the fans. Pisilli drew particular acclaim from the gathering, while Wesley, described as one of the squad's brightest stars, spent time engaging with the crowd despite the heavy gathering around his vehicle. Other squad members including Gollini, Mancini, Dovbyk, Svilar, Hermoso, Vaz, Rensch, Ziółkowski, and Cristante all passed through during the session. Some players, including Dybala, Kumbulla, Mannini, Reale, and Pagano, arrived discreetly. One supporter praised Dybala's commitment, saying: "He gave proof of a great gesture of love towards the city and fans, accepting the salary reduction." The atmosphere captured the renewed optimism surrounding the club as preparation for the new campaign began.