Zeki Çelik

Zeki Çelik — Biography

Mehmet Zeki Çelik is a right-back for the Turkey national team who can also play as a center-back in a back three. In July 2026 he left Roma to join Juventus on a contract running to June 2029. Born in the Yıldırım district of Bursa, his route from the lower leagues to Serie A is one of the more striking rises in recent Turkish football.

He started in sport as a wrestler and moved to football once his talent showed in matches played during training. He came through the Bursaspor academy and signed professional terms in 2015, but with no place in the first team he went out on loan and then, in 2016, joined second-tier İstanbulspor. That side won its group and was promoted to the TFF First League, and his form there earned a senior Turkey call-up in 2018. The same year he moved to Lille in France, debuted in Ligue 1 against Rennes and won the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title with the club. In 2022 he signed a four-year deal with Roma, wore number 19 and was part of the side that lost the 2022-23 Europa League final.

He made his Turkey debut against Russia on June 5, 2018, and scored his first international goal against Uzbekistan in 2019. He played at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 and was named in Turkey's 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. At Juventus he is a club-mate of fellow international Kenan Yıldız.