Gian Piero Gasperini did not see the Çelik raid coming. The Turkish right-back had been expected to report for medical tests in Rome today, and the Roma manager had spent months working to retain him as part of his squad for the new season. Instead, the player signed for Juventus yesterday in a blitz that left the Giallorossi stunned. Now, barely twenty-four hours later, a second and potentially even more significant blow may be about to land — and the target this time is Lorenzo Pellegrini.
The Pellegrini Situation: A Contract Still Unsigned
Pellegrini’s contract with Roma expired on 1 July. He is, technically, a free agent. And despite an ongoing series of meetings between his entourage and the Roma hierarchy — the latest of which took place yesterday — the renewal that Gasperini desperately wants to secure has still not been signed. The club have offered a two-year extension, but the formalities have not been completed. Roma are stalling. Gasperini is furious. And Juventus, characteristically, have identified the opening and moved without hesitation.
Massara Strikes Again — A Proposal Already Submitted
Frederic Massara has an excellent personal relationship with Pellegrini — a product of his years at Roma, where the two worked closely together during the most successful period of the midfielder’s career. That relationship is now being put to work in the most direct way possible. According to Tuttosport, Juventus have already submitted a concrete proposal to Pellegrini, who is expected to give a response today. He will not allow the uncertainty to drag on.
The attraction of the move from Juventus’s perspective is immediately apparent. With Brahim Díaz still committed to remaining at Real Madrid for now, and Nicolò Zaniolo increasingly tempted by AC Milan, the options for the trequartista position have been narrowing. Pellegrini, as a free agent, would solve the problem at zero transfer cost — with a player of genuine quality, Serie A experience, and a profile that Spalletti, Massara, and the entire Juventus hierarchy find convincing.
Pellegrini’s Dilemma: Heart Versus Ambition
The complication is not financial — it is emotional. Roma has been everything to Pellegrini, a lifelong commitment that goes well beyond the professional. He was born in Rome, came through the Roma academy, captained the club, and has always spoken about the Giallorossi with a depth of feeling that cannot be manufactured. Leaving for Juventus — a direct rival — would be one of the more dramatic transfers in recent Italian football history, and Pellegrini is acutely aware of what it would mean for his relationship with the Roma fanbase.
His preference, as things stand, is still to stay. Gasperini’s project appeals to him, and the idea of contributing to Roma’s three-competition season next year — Serie A, Coppa Italia, and European football — is not something he takes lightly. But Roma’s inability to finalise the paperwork has created a window of doubt that Juventus have been quick to exploit. Massara is working quietly, methodically, and with the calm confidence of a man who knows the player and believes the deal can be done.
The next few hours will be decisive. Pellegrini must choose — and for the first time in his career, the most comfortable answer is not necessarily the most certain one.
