Newcastle have Zeki Celik open goal as exit ready, this is what it will take to seal transfer
Newcastle United and Fulham have both been linked with a move to sign Roma defender Zeki Celik this summer.
According to Corriere dello Sport, relayed by London World, the pair of Premier League sides are set to battle it out for the 29-year-old’s signature ahead of next season, although there is outside interest from both Juventus and Stuttgart.
Celik has played 21 games for Roma in Serie A so far this season, but looks set to depart the capital club as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the campaign.
The Turkey international has spent the last four years with the Giallorossi in the Italian top flight, but it now appears that he could be about to make a switch to the Premier League in the coming months.
Zeki Celik’s wage demands suit Newcastle perfectly
Roma’s efforts to tie Celik down to a new deal have fallen by the wayside, and that looks set to leave the door open for Newcastle and Fulham to push forward and table their own contract offers to the defender.
The centre-back is understood to now have his “suitcases in hand” ready to leave Roma, according to Il Messaggero, which makes it seem inevitable that he will be moving to a new club this summer.
The Italian outlet also understands that in Roma’s most recent attempt to renew his deal, Celik and his entourage asked for a yearly wage of around £3.4million (€4m).
- Celik has made 138 appearances for Roma across four seasons with the club
- He previously spent four years with Ligue 1 side Lille
- He has represented Turkey at the last two European Championships
That equates to a weekly earning of around the £67,000 mark, which has surely turned this transfer race into something of an open goal for Newcastle.
The Magpies have significantly greater spending power than Fulham do, and with no transfer fee necessary to strike a deal for Celik, it would be a huge surprise if they weren’t willing to step up their pursuit.
The foreign duo of Juventus and Stuttgart are likely to provide major competition for the Magpies, but they also have the lure of the Premier League on their side, especially considering Celik is now 29 and has never played in the English game.
- Read More: Sources: Marcos Senesi frontrunners named as Tottenham and Newcastle race for free transfer
The Magpies could also add Marcos Senesi to centre-back options
The centre-back position is likely to be an area of key priority for Newcastle this summer, given the injury issues that they have endured so far this term.
Sven Botman and Fabian Schar have both endured lengthy spells on the sidelines at times, while the club are in need of a long-term replacement for the latter, who is now 34.
Football Insider revealed on Tuesday that Barcelona are currently the frontrunners to sign Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth, although Newcastle are also in the picture.
The Magpies must be ready to pounce on any glimmer of hope that they could land the Argentine, considering that the Spanish giants are still encountering serious financial difficulties.
Senesi and Celik would be two impressive additions to the backline, and with the potential to land both on free transfers, they could prove to be the ideal cost-effective way to rebuild the defence.