Roma soccer market, renewals of three big names create apprehension
If it were up to the players, the signatures would probably have already arrived. Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Zeki Celik, currently linked to Roma until June 30, had already begun discussions with former sporting director Massara. The groundwork for renewal had been set and the parties had come close to an economic agreement. Subsequently, however, the process came to a halt, not because of a lack of will, but because the club has not yet identified the manager who will have to take over and conclude the negotiations opened in the last weeks of May.
One of the first issues that the future sporting director will have to deal with will be precisely that related to the renewals of the three players. A two-year deal is ready for Dybala, while Pellegrini and Celik are expected to extend for another three seasons. The Argentine striker would be willing to reduce his salary significantly, from 8 to 2.8 million euros annually, while the Giallorossi captain would see his salary drop from 6 to 3 million. The situation is different for Celik, who could instead get a small upward adjustment.
Just on the Celik front, however, the last few weeks have brought not very encouraging signs. According to reports in recent months, negotiations for the Turkish full-back’s renewal have reportedly reached a stalemate that is difficult to overcome: Roma had put on the table a proposal of around 2.5 million net per season, while the player’s entourage reportedly responded with a firm demand of 4 million, on the strength of his unrestricted status that makes him an attractive prey on the market. In this scenario, Juventus would have moved well in advance, reaching an agreement in principle with the defender on the basis of a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year, with Inter ready to insert itself in case of slowdowns.
To further complicate the picture, coach Gian Piero Gasperini also publicly admitted the existence of a stalemate, while strongly reiterating the common will to continue together with Dybala: “At the moment there is a situation of waiting, even if we continue to work behind the scenes. Then news can come out of the blue. The will of everyone is for him to stay at Roma.” Words that accurately capture the moment of uncertainty surrounding the entire Giallorossi renewal campaign.
Once these dossiers are settled, the focus will shift to Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante. For both of them, an agreement in principle had already been reached to extend their respective contracts, currently expiring in 2027, until 2029 with an option for an additional season until 2030.
