Liverpool’s Zeki Celik Interest Highlights Defensive Reset
Liverpool Squad Depth Tested After £450m Outlay
Liverpool’s £450m transfer spree last summer was meant to be a statement of renewal, a declaration that the Premier League champions were building a squad for the next era under Arne Slot. Yet TEAMtalk’s latest report underlines a reality that many supporters recognise. There are still gaps, particularly in defence, where numbers look fragile and planning remains urgent rather than complete.
Sporting director Richard Hughes saw a late move for Marc Guehi collapse when Crystal Palace pulled the plug on deadline day. In isolation that was frustrating. In context, given Giovanni Leoni’s season ending injury, it feels more damaging. Liverpool now have only three senior fit centre backs.
Layer on top Ibrahima Konate’s expiring contract, and the knowledge that Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are due to leave in 2027, and the need for defensive reinforcement moves from desirable to unavoidable. TEAMtalk’s report captures that sense of urgency and points towards one name who could ease more than one headache.
Right Back Concerns Fuel Celik Interest
The centre of defence is not the only concern. Right back, once Trent Alexander Arnold’s personal stage, has become an ongoing puzzle. Jeremie Frimpong arrived to help solve it, while Conor Bradley’s new contract looked a smart piece of succession planning. Reality has been more complicated. Injuries have disrupted both, and Arne Slot has had to turn to Dominik Szoboszlai as a temporary fix on the flank.
That is not a sustainable long term solution for a side whose football depends on balance and repetition. As TEAMtalk put it, Liverpool “could be tempted back into the market,” particularly for someone with the versatility to cover multiple roles.
Zeki Celik Profile and Contract Situation
This is where Zeki Celik enters the conversation. The 28 year old has developed at Roma since leaving Lille in 2022, emerging as a trusted and flexible option for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side. Comfortable as a right sided centre back or as the right component of a wing back system, he offers exactly the sort of tactical elasticity modern managers crave.
TEAMtalk report that Liverpool are one of several clubs to have opened high level talks regarding the Turkey international, whose contract situation is sharpening interest across Europe. As they explain, “Celik is out of contract at AS Roma at the end of the season, which has sparked interest from Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.”
They go further, underlining just how crowded the race has become. “Man City, Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea have all made enquiries about Celik, confirming the high level of attention on the Turkey international.” When that many super clubs make contact, it tends to speak clearly about a player’s perceived value.
Roma, currently top of Serie A with Celik involved both centrally and wide on the right, face a familiar dilemma. Without a breakthrough on a new deal, they must choose between a January sale or the risk of losing him for nothing in the summer. For a financially shrewd club like Liverpool, the possibility of a low fee in winter or a free transfer next year will be attractive.
Tactical Fit for Arne Slot’s Liverpool
From Liverpool’s perspective, Celik ticks multiple boxes. He covers right back and right sided centre back, he has European experience, and he understands the demands of systems built on aggressive pressing and rapid transitions. If Slot chooses to evolve towards a back three, Celik’s ability to play as a wide centre back or wing back would be especially valuable.
In simple terms, he looks like a solution for both depth and tactical flexibility. TEAMtalk’s report reads like the early stages of a transfer that makes structural sense for a champion side seeking to stay ahead of its own injury list and contract timelines.
Our View – Anfield Index Analysis
For Liverpool supporters, the Celik story lands in a space between opportunity and necessity. The excitement of a £450m rebuild has slowly given way to a more forensic view of what this squad still needs. Three fit senior centre backs is not enough for a club competing domestically and in Europe, particularly with Konate’s future uncertain and long term plans already pencilled in for Van Dijk and Gomez.
Celik appeals because he feels like smart business rather than a headline grab. He can cover right back, which relieves the strain on Frimpong and Bradley, and his ability to operate on the right of a back three fits neatly with the kind of flexible structures Arne Slot has used before. Supporters would likely see him as someone who strengthens the group without blocking pathways for younger defenders.
There will be questions too. Fans might ask whether Liverpool should prioritise a younger, premium centre back, or whether Celik is more of a depth signing than a cornerstone. But given the volume of interest reported by TEAMtalk, there is also comfort in knowing the club are pursuing a player admired by multiple rivals.
