Zeki Çelik

Zeki Çelik's departure this summer has proven beneficial for Roma, with the Turkish defender struggling at his new club while the Giallorossi have found capable alternatives. Çelik, who had agreed a renewal with Roma before changing his mind to join another side, has posted uninspiring numbers in his opening matches. Against Milan yesterday he recorded zero successful crosses, matching the same figure across his previous two outings against Parma and Frosinone. Social media criticism has already mounted, with fans questioning the absence of a 'Çelik cam'—a reference to a video DAZN produced weeks earlier following his first friendly appearance. His exit has cleared the path for Emanuele Lulli, who has become integral to Gasperini's setup. Initially withdrawn from the transfer market, Lulli started in all three of Roma's opening matches and has impressed the coaching staff considerably. Equally significant is the emergence of Nahuel Molina, the Argentine fullback who is continuing to build his fitness following Argentina's run to the World Cup final. Against Atalanta, Molina made a decisive 36-minute appearance, creating multiple dangerous situations and setting up a header from Santiago Castro that struck the crossbar. He recorded 100 per cent of tackles won and 90 per cent pass accuracy. Roma's first Champions League fixture arrives Thursday against Feyenoord, with Molina and Lulli in direct competition for the fullback berth. Molina's experience in high-pressure stadiums should serve him well as Roma prepare for what the article describes as an extremely hostile environment.

Roma are flying this season, and Gian Piero Gasperini has been central to building a unity across the club that extends from the pitch to the boardroom. The coach has overseen a start to the campaign that may rival even the magical 2000–01 season. After comfortable victories over Fiorentina and Lecce, Roma faced a severe test against Atalanta on Saturday and managed not only to win but to overturn the flow of the match—playing what the commentary describes as "winning in the Mourinho way while playing Gasperini football." The side showed genuine compactness in that contest, particularly during difficult moments when they could have faltered; instead, the entire Roma family—players, management, staff and supporters—rallied together. Gasperini has also brought D'Amico onto the coaching staff to ensure everyone speaks the same language, an approach likened to a well-coordinated naval fleet where no one rows against the current. The appointment of the right people and the absence of internal division have created an environment where squad, leadership and fanbase all pull in the same direction. On the pitch, Roma deployed what appeared to be 13 players rather than 11 against Atalanta, a testament to the collective spirit that has taken root. The article contrasts Roma's current harmony with the pattern of internal factions that has plagued the club in the past, noting that some external commentators have already prepared critiques—whether about Zeki Çelik's non-renewal, spending on Rodrigo Mora or Santiago Castro, or other decisions—but results are rendering those arguments moot. The article frames Roma's trajectory as one where polemica (internal dispute) is being actively rejected in favour of unified purpose, suggesting the club is moving in a markedly different direction from its historical tendency toward division.

Zeki Çelik's departure from Roma has proved no source of regret, particularly given how his exit has benefited the club's defensive options. The Turkish defender, who chose not to renew his Roma contract and joined Torino, made a slow start at his new club. In yesterday's match against Milan, he completed zero successful crosses, a tally he matched in earlier friendlies against Parma and Frosinone. Social media criticism emerged, with supporters questioning whether the club would repeat a promotional video similar to one released by Dazn weeks earlier following Çelik's opening pre-season appearance. Celik's departure has cleared space for Emanuele Lulli, who was removed from the transfer market and has impressed considerably. The 2007-born defender started all three pre-season matches and has largely convinced onlookers. Nearby, Nahuel Molina is gradually building match fitness despite still recovering from the demands of Argentina's World Cup campaign, which reached the final. His performances with Roma have proven decisive. Over thirty-six minutes, Molina won 100 per cent of his duels, achieved 90 per cent passing accuracy and created a clear chance that Santiago Castro struck against the crossbar. Roma face Fenerbahçe in their opening Champions League fixture on Thursday, which will reignite the battle between Lulli and Molina for the full-back position. The away venue promises to be an intense atmosphere, though Molina has shown no fear of such occasions. His experience at this level will be invaluable as Roma look to navigate European football's biggest stage.

Roma closed the summer transfer window with a tactical anomaly on the flanks that Gasperini must now correct. The club welcomed Nahuel Molina, an international-level operator, and promoted Emanuele Lulli from the Primavera, but departed with three established wide players: Zeki Çelik despite a renewal near completion (he chose Juventus), Kostas Tsimikas at the end of his loan spell, and Angeliño on a permanent exit. From 1 September, Gasperini has four full-backs available—Wesley, Devyne Rensch, Molina and Lulli—with a critical shared characteristic: all four are naturally right-footed. In a system where wide players are fundamental, this represents a significant imbalance that demands correction. The left flank presents a particular problem. Wesley, who proved a credible option there last season when Angeliño suffered injuries and Tsimikas disappointed, operates from an inverted position—offering a diagonal cut inside toward attacking midfielders but sacrificing natural overlapping runs and first-time crosses. This inversion does suit the movement style of Donyell Malen, a forward more suited to fluid attacking play than penalty-box poaching. On the right last season, Çelik provided physical reliability; in the opening two league matches of the current campaign, Lulli has dominated the position. The 2007-born academy product is carving out his space with force, quality and intent, constraining Molina's deployment. The Argentine debutant, not yet at full fitness, entered Monday's match against Lecce at the hour mark when the contest was settled after 25 minutes, positioned on the left flank rather than his natural right, then shifted across later with Lulli moving to the opposite wing. Rensch, who remains unavailable, can operate on both flanks. Salah-Eddine, a genuine left-footer in the squad, has been excluded from the Champions League list and is outside Gasperini's project. During the three-month summer window, Roma pursued numerous full-back profiles—Fresneda, Cacciamani, Read, Moreira and Luiz Henrique among them—prompting discussion of Wesley returning to the right flank. None materialised, leaving the club with four naturally right-footed wide defenders. Gasperini's Atalanta tenure established the template for offensive wing-back football: over nine years in Bergamo, he consistently deployed pure left-footers on the left (Gosens, Ruggeri, Reca, Bakker) or right-footed players with exceptional weak-foot technique or cut-inside dribbling (Spinazzola, Mæhle, Castagne). Gosens and Ruggeri delivered eye-catching output: 12 goals and 8 assists in 2020-21 for the former; 2 goals and 6 assists in 2023-24 for the latter. The most concrete path forward at Roma appears to be Wesley's cut-inside dribbling combined with attacking-midfielder interplay. However, a move into the free-agent market remains possible: Guerreiro, returning after a decade between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, represents the ideal profile for the left flank, though explosive pace is not his hallmark. Diatta is also on the radar; he can fill all wide positions and could serve a dual-role function.

AS Roma faces UEFA review of its settlement agreement compliance after a summer transfer window costing approximately 125 million euros in purchases and 30 million in sales, with capital gains reaching only 25 million. The club will defend its position to UEFA at Nyon by highlighting a dramatic reduction in the wage bill—the primary evidence it claims of its sustainability strategy. Last season the payroll exceeded 133 million euros gross; it has now fallen to around 113 million, moving closer to the 100-million target. The wage cuts stem largely from player departures including Zaragoza, Çelik, Angeliño, Tsimikas, El Shaarawy and Dovbyk. The signing of Santiago Castro, a younger player with a lower salary spread across multiple years, exemplifies Roma's shift in strategy. Significant savings also came from the exits of El Aynaoui, Vaz, Ziółkowski and Kumbulla. Contract renewals for Dybala, Mancini, Cristante and Pellegrini followed the same model, reducing the fixed portion of salaries in favour of performance and appearance bonuses; these four extensions alone saved approximately 15 million euros. New arrivals Castro, Mora, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi and De Roon will cost around 25 million euros gross combined. Roma's overall wage reduction stands close to 45 million euros, reflecting the club's revised commercial approach as it attempts to satisfy UEFA's conditions set out in the 2022 settlement agreement.

Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico acknowledged that the club remains incomplete ahead of the 2026–27 season, citing the absence of a physical left-sided defender—a position head coach Gasperini has sought for a year. Speaking at Trigoria, D'Amico adopted a candid tone, explaining how the transfer market shifted during the window due to Financial Fair Play constraints and how some deals stalled because other signings were progressing simultaneously. On Manu Koné, D'Amico confirmed that no formal offers arrived and that only initial enquiries were made; Gasperini did not threaten to resign over the midfielder's future. D'Amico highlighted his proudest acquisitions as retained players from the previous regime—Lorenzo Pellegrini, Paulo Dybala, Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante—noting that previous management had different views on their futures. Zeki Çelik, he added, chose Juventus after an agreement was reached. The club pursued Leverkusen winger Florian Wirtz but the player had a change of heart despite agreements already in place with both Roma and Stuttgart. D'Amico stated: "There were other players ready to arrive, but they did not satisfy us. Luiz Henrique? There were banking issues we could not resolve. In any case we are united in our ideas; we will assess things in January, or in the free agent market."