SOURCES CONFIRM: MAN UTD WANT ROMA DEFENDER ZEKI CELIK
Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all tracking AS Roma's right-back Zeki Celik, whose contract expires this summer, sparking a transfer battle.
Sources say Manchester United is interested in signing AS Roma right-back Zeki Celik. But they will have competition from Liverpool and Arsenal.
Celik's contract with Roma ends this season, which has caught the eye of Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Man City. Since 2022, the 28-year-old Turkish player has played 121 games for Roma, scoring two goals and seven assists.
Word is that several big English clubs want Celik, who has become a main player for Roma under manager Gian Piero Gasperini. He has shown he can play in different spots, like as a right-back in a back three and as a defensive midfielder.
Man City, Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea have all asked about Celik, which shows how much interest there is in him.
Roma is in first place in Serie A right now. They see Celik as important to the team and want him to stay longer.
Roma is trying to get Celik to sign a new agreement soon. But the former Lille star is taking his time and will think about any offers carefully in the next few weeks.
From January, Celik can sign a pre-contract with another club for a summer move. That’s why English teams are trying to find out if he is available and what he might want in a potential agreement.
So far, they are just getting basic info and figuring out if they can negotiate.
Celik is a solid defender with experience and can help out on offence, which makes him a popular full-back in Europe.
The next few weeks will be key in deciding if Celik stays at Roma or moves to the Premier League, where several top clubs are ready to make a move. This is something to watch closely.
Why does Man Utd want Zeki Celik?
Man Utd wants to sign a midfielder most of all in January. But the wing-back role is becoming more and more important to their game plan.
Sources say Man Utd would prefer a right wing-back who likes to attack.
Celik is not the kind of attacking full-back that gets fans excited. But he is dependable, strong on defence, and plays well consistently.
The Turkish player can also get forward, with one goal and one assist in 11 Serie A games this season.
Celik said in October 2025 that he is comfortable as a wing-back and can attack if needed.
Tribuna quoted Celik: It doesn't matter if I play as a wing-back or a full-back; the important thing is to play well.
About renewing my agreement, I'm just focused on playing. I'm happy at Roma, and we'll see what happens.
I feel good as a wing-back; I can defend and attack. I'm happy and playing well.
In Turkey, I played as a fullback and centre back, so I know all the defensive positions. It wasn't new to me, and I'm comfortable in any role.
I’ve worked with many great coaches, but with Gasperini, training is very tough. The coach has a winning mentality; we’re learning a lot from him, and we’re improving.”
Meanwhile, Man Utd really wants to sign a German star who is also wanted by Chelsea.
INSIDE SENNE LAMMENS’ BLUEPRINT FOR MAN UNITED’S MASSIVE 2026 SUMMER TRANSFER OVERHAUL
"We want to be stronger." Read Senne Lammens' honest assessment of Manchester United’s squad needs after the Sunderland draw.
Senne Lammens isn’t hiding from the truth; he knows Manchester United have to beef up their squad this summer if they want to handle both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland showed just how thin United are right now. Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, and Manuel Ugarte all sat out with injuries, and you could feel their absence on the pitch.
It’s been a weird season for United. They played just 40 games, the fewest in over a century, because they were eliminated from Europe and both domestic cups so early. But now they’re back in the Champions League, and Lammens realises the team has to get deeper if they want to compete seriously.
“Yeah, definitely. This league’s tough, and next year’s schedule is going to be insane,” the goalkeeper said. “You want to have enough reliable players, people who can step up whenever they’re needed.”
Lammens made it clear that United must invest in new signings during the summer window. He’s not saying the squad lacks quality now, but he knows things will get tougher. “Honestly, I think we’ve got a lot of talent this year,” he said. “But next season’s going to ask a lot more from us, and you need to be ready for injuries and everything that can come with a busy year like today, when we missed a few regular starters. Being able to call on others to jump in really matters.”
He wants a strong, well-rounded group ready for the challenges ahead. “We’re already building towards that, but we want to be even stronger for next season.”
Some people wondered if United relaxed after they clinched their Champions League spot by beating Liverpool last weekend. Lammens brushed that idea off. He said head coach Michael Carrick was all over them, reminding everyone to finish the season on a high.
“I don’t think so, not for me at least,” Lammens said. “The manager made it clear that these last games are important. We want as many points as we can get and to finish as high as possible. How you end the season carries over. It’s your launchpad for next year. We want to keep the momentum going.”
He didn’t want to hear any excuses. “Honestly, if we’d played at Sunderland a few weeks ago before securing the Champions League, it still would’ve been tough. That wasn’t in our minds.”
Carrick echoed those thoughts after the match. He sounded almost annoyed when asked if the players were mentally on holiday already.
“I get almost offended by that,” he said. “The way the players prepared and battled out there, it’s clear they’re still focused. If we’d been off it, we’d have lost. Sunderland pushed us hard at times.”
He thinks the pride and responsibility of playing for Manchester United is all the motivation the team needs. “That’s what keeps us sharp, knowing we represent something big. That doesn’t guarantee we’ll always play brilliantly, but it’s enough to fight through tough days.”
MANCHESTER UNITED HOLD ADVANCED NEGOTIATIONS FOR RECORD-BREAKING £18M BETWAY SPONSORSHIP
Despite the upcoming front-of-shirt gambling ban, explore how Man United’s Betway deal targets training apparel at Carrington.
Manchester United are currently discussing a potential sponsorship deal with Betway, reportedly worth up to £18 million. This comes despite the Premier League having banned betting companies from featuring as main shirt sponsors starting from the 2026-27 season.
Back in 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to remove gambling logos from the front of their shirts. From that point, no top-flight team will carry betting advertisements on their kits during matches. But this new deal would see Betway appear on United’s training gear, not their matchday shirts.
According to reports from the MEN, talks have progressed significantly. If an agreement were reached, the Betway logo would be quite visible on the training apparel worn by players at Carrington, United’s training ground. That means fans would regularly see the branding in video footage and photos taken during training sessions.
Previously, United’s training kits featured Tezos, a blockchain company, until that partnership ended in June 2025. Betway has its own history with English football; they’ve been shirt sponsors for West Ham United and maintain global gambling partnerships with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The financial terms on the table for this Betway deal would be substantially close to £18 million, putting it on a similar scale to Bayern Munich’s partnership with Allianz, which includes stadium naming rights. This is quite a significant figure for a single training kit sponsor.
This season, United have gone without a sponsor on their training gear. After the Tezos contract expired, the club chose not to rush into a new agreement. They wanted to carefully evaluate potential partners, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of brand alignment.
There were even conversations with the African division of the Six Rivers Foundation, a conservation project in which United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invested. However, those discussions didn’t lead to a deal.
When majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer visited Carrington earlier this year, commercial revenue and sponsorship opportunities were among the key topics addressed. The club has also brought in marketing agency Two Circles, where ex-United sales manager Leo Thompson works, to help find a new sleeve sponsor, given that the current contract with DXC ends this summer.
Securing Champions League qualification for next season under Michael Carrick’s leadership has somewhat eased the process. United guaranteed their place in Europe’s top competition after a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which should make the club more attractive to potential commercial partners.
