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Roma complete Celik renewal, close in on Cristante, Mancini agreements

ยทBy Paul Vegas
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Roma complete Celik renewal, close in on Cristante, Mancini agreements

AS Roma/X.com

Roma are working through a busy stretch of contract business under Gian Piero Gasperini, with the club moving to lock down several key squad members before pre-season progresses much further.

Right-back Zeki Celik has now completed his renewal, with the document exchange finalised and only the formal club announcement still to come, following on from Paulo Dybala's own contract extension.

Bryan Cristante and Gianluca Mancini are close behind, with agreements in place for both players and only the signatures left to formalise their new deals. Cristante's extension is expected to run to 2028, with Mancini tied down until 2029.

Lorenzo Pellegrini's situation remains further behind. Talks over a new contract are continuing, with reports suggesting a two-year deal including an option and wages of around โ‚ฌ2.5m under discussion, but the move still needs sign-off from ownership before an agreement can be finalised.

Both Pellegrini and Gasperini are said to want the captain to stay, with the head coach viewing him as an important part of his plans as he looks to build on last season going forward, though the final call rests with the Friedkin family.

Celik's new deal takes his contract through to 2029, with wages rising to close to โ‚ฌ3m a season, reward for a campaign in which he made 45 appearances and started 42. Fiorentina had shown late interest in prising him away, but the Turkey international opted to stay loyal to Roma rather than explore a move elsewhere. He is due back at Trigoria on 18 July following his World Cup involvement.

With Celik, Cristante and Mancini all set to extend, AS Roma's focus now shifts fully to resolving Pellegrini's future and pushing forward with incoming transfer business, which Gasperini has indicated should accelerate significantly in the coming days.

The wave of renewals underlines Roma's intent to build continuity around Gasperini's project after a summer of speculation over several first-team players. Cristante and Mancini are viewed as important dressing-room figures as well as reliable performers on the pitch, while Celik's versatility across the back line has made him increasingly valuable since his arrival from Lille.

Pellegrini remains the outstanding piece of business, hoping to continue a career at the club he has represented since coming through the academy.