Roma's Transfer Frustration: Çelik to Juventus, Pellegrini Declines Juve Approach
Transfer News·18 July 2026·1d ago

Roma's Transfer Frustration: Çelik to Juventus, Pellegrini Declines Juve Approach

Source: Forza Roma

Juventus secured Zeki Çelik on a free transfer after Roma's internal delays cost them the defender, who had verbally agreed to a contract renewal with the club and its head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The move was conducted by Ricky Massara, Juventus's current chief football officer and Roma's former sporting director until 29 May. While Juventus acted within its rights, Roma felt the sting of the transfer given Massara's recent departure and his intimate knowledge of the club's operations acquired during his tenure in giallorosso.

The sequence highlighted Roma's chronic slowness in closing deals. Massara's involvement added an extra layer of tension at Trigoria, with the perception that Juventus exploited inside information the executive had gathered while employed by Roma. The bianconeri subsequently tested the market by approaching Lorenzo Pellegrini, another free agent currently negotiating a contract extension with Roma. However, Pellegrini rejected Juventus's interest and opted to continue his career in giallorosso.

For Massara, the Çelik signing represented vindication: he had frequently faced criticism from Gasperini over his perceived sluggishness in concluding transfers. The dual loss—first Çelik's departure, then Pellegrini's reaffirmation of commitment elsewhere—underscored Roma's operational challenges during the transfer window.

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Roma have lost right-back Zeki Çelik to Juventus on a free transfer after failing to complete a contract renewal. The Turkish defender, who made 115 appearances for Roma over four seasons, has signed with the Bianconeri until June 2029 following medical tests at Juventus's Turin facility. Forza Roma reports that Çelik had verbally agreed to extend with Roma under coach Gian Piero Gasperini, but internal delays at Trigoria allowed Juventus to move quickly. The transfer was orchestrated by Ricky Massara, Roma's former sporting director who recently joined Juventus as chief football officer, adding tension at the club over perceived exploitation of inside knowledge. Forza Roma notes Massara had previously faced criticism from Gasperini over transfer sluggishness, making the Çelik signing a point of vindication. In a brighter development for Roma, Pellegrini rejected a Juventus approach and recommitted to the Giallorossi, declining the chance to join their rivals on a free transfer.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

Uno sgarbo, forse anche uno smacco. Perché poi era tutto fatto, con Zeki Celik che aveva dato la sua parola a Gian Piero Gasperini e i suoi agenti che si erano messi d'accordo con la Roma per il rinnovo del contratto. La firma del difensore turco con la Juventus a Trigoria non è affatto piaciuta.…

Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.

Read original on Forza Roma

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