Transfer News: Roma and Atletico Madrid compete against Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Zeki Celik
According to Sport Witness (h/t Burnley Express), Tottenham Hotspur are set to face competition from Atletico Madrid and AS Roma in their pursuit of 24-year-old Turkish defender Zeki Celik.
The right-back has been drumming up some interest as he has become an instrumental part of Lille OSC. The right-back has played 117 games for the French club across all competitions till now during which he has scored 5 goals and provided 11 assists.
The team from Lille won the French League last season causing a huge upset by overthrowing defending champions Paris Saint-Germain. The Lilywhites, on the other hand, have been struggling to maintain the luxury of European football in the last couple of seasons.
The North Londoners had a rocky start to the season under former manager Nuno Espirito Santo but there seems to be a shift in the mood at N-17 after the decision to hire Antonio Conte as his replacement.
Spurs have used Emerson Royal as their preferred right-back this campaign. The Brazilian seems to be cementing his spot in the starting lineup after having a difficult start to life in England.
Matt Doherty, on the other hand, was out for a great deal due to injury. The Turkish professional footballer could be a great addition to the North London club and could also help boost their chances to provide a more attacking threat consistently.
According to the report, Tottenham Hotspur may have to face stiff competition from Roma and Atletico if they are to have any chance of bringing the young full-back to London. Conte could also prefer more options in the area as his preferred system deploys wing-backs in a more attacking role.
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Any move for Zeki Celik is highly speculatory in nature at the moment as the Turkish wing-back continues to attract interest from a variety of clubs across Europe including Jose Mourinho’s Roma. But with Spurs losing Serge Aurier in the summer and Conte’s system making ample use of full-backs, perhaps it’s not an audacious thought to strengthen further in that area despite acquiring Emerson.
