The summer market has not opened yet, but one of its classic Italian subplots is already forming: Inter and Juventus circling the same target, waiting for the first move.
This time the name is Zeki Celik.
The Roma wingback is heading for the exit at the Stadio Olimpico, his contract running down and the club showing no real intention of extending it. At 29, with solid Serie A and European experience behind him and no transfer fee attached, he fits the profile that wakes up sporting directors across Italy – especially one in particular.
Beppe Marotta has built a reputation at San Siro on Bosman deals. Free agents have become a trademark of his Inter, a way to refresh and reinforce a title-chasing squad without wrecking the balance sheet. Celik, according to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio via L’Interista, is the latest opportunity on his radar.
Inter's Interest
For Inter, the interest is not just opportunistic. The club is bracing for the possible departure of Denzel Dumfries in the summer. The Dutchman has long attracted attention from abroad, and Inter know they may have to cash in rather than risk losing him for nothing further down the line. That creates a looming vacancy on the right flank of Simone Inzaghi’s system.
Celik offers a ready-made solution. He knows Serie A, he has already handled the tactical demands of Italian football after his move from Lille, and he can slot into a wingback role without a long adaptation period. Crucially, he would not touch a large chunk of the transfer budget, which Cristian Chivu is expected to channel into a broader defensive overhaul with several veterans likely to depart.
Inter’s logic is clear: secure cover, maintain depth, and keep funds free for bigger structural changes at the back.
Juventus' Pursuit
Juventus, though, are not watching this from a distance.
The Turin club have been scanning the same market, with defensive reinforcements high on their agenda. Celik’s situation at Roma has not gone unnoticed. A player with his profile – tactically disciplined, experienced, and available on a free – fits neatly into the kind of recalibration Juventus are planning as they try to rebuild a squad capable of consistently challenging at the top again.
So the familiar pattern emerges. Two historic rivals, one attainable target, and a race shaped as much by project and promises as by money. Inter can offer a settled, title-winning framework and the lure of competing deep in Europe. Juventus can counter with the appeal of a central role in their next cycle and the pull of wearing the black and white in Turin.
Roma, for their part, look resigned. With Celik effectively “one foot out” of the Olimpico and free agency looming in June, the story has already moved beyond whether he leaves and onto where he lands.
Now it comes down to who convinces him that their right flank is the stage for the next chapter of his career: the champions of today in Milan, or the giants in Turin desperate to reclaim tomorrow.
