 Çelik playing for Turkey in 2020 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mehmet Zeki Çelik | ||
| Date of birth | (1997-02-17) 17 February 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Yıldırım, Turkey | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Juventus | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2009 | Yavuz Selimspor | ||
| 2009–2015 | Bursaspor | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2016 | Bursaspor | 0 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Karacabeyspor (loan) | 34 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | İstanbulspor | 64 | (3) |
| 2018–2022 | Lille | 118 | (6) |
| 2022–2026 | Roma | 106 | (1) |
| 2026– | Juventus | 7 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012–2013 | Turkey U16 | 11 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Turkey U17 | 12 | (0) |
| 2014 | Turkey U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Turkey U21 | 9 | (0) |
| 2018– | Turkey | 67 | (3) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18 October 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 5 October 2026 | |||
Mehmet Zeki Çelik (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈzeci ˈtʃelik]; born 17 February 1997) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus and the Turkey national team. A versatile defender that can play across both flanks,[6] he can also be deployed as a centre-back in a back three.
Early life
Çelik was born on 17 February 1997 in Yıldırım, Bursa Province. He is of Kurdish descent.[7][8]
Club career
Bursaspor
Born in Bursa as the youngest of nine children, Çelik went through the Bursaspor youth academy and became a professional in 2015. He signed on loan with Karacabey Birlikspor in 2015.
İstanbulspor
In 2016, he joined İstanbulspor. His good performance with İstanbulspor earned him a call-up to the senior Turkey national team in 2018, despite playing in the TFF First League.[9]
Lille
On 8 July 2018, Çelik signed for Lille in France on a five-year contract.[10][11] Çelik made his professional debut in a 3–1 Ligue 1 win over Stade Rennes on 11 August 2018.[12]
Roma
On 5 July 2022, Çelik’s transfer to Roma from Lille was made official by the Serie A club, Roma.[13] He has signed a four-year contract with the Giallorossi that runs until 30 June 2026.[14] He made his Serie A debut in a 1–0 win over Cremonese on 22 August 2022.
Juventus
On 16 July 2026, Çelik was announced as a new Juventus player. He signed a contract valid until 30 June 2029.[15] Çelik scored the fourth goal in a 5-0 victory against NEC Nijmegen in the club UEFA Europa League opening match on 17 September.[16]
International career
Çelik made his professional debut for the Turkey national team in a 1–1 friendly with Russia on 5 June 2018.[17]
On 2 June 2026, Çelik was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[18]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 22 October 2026[19]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Karacabeyspor (loan) | 2015–16 | TFF Second League | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 35 | 0 | |||
| İstanbulspor | 2016–17 | TFF Second League | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | TFF First League | 33 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 38 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 64 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 69 | 3 | |||||
| Lille | 2018–19 | Ligue 1 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 4[d] | 1 | — | 35 | 4 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 7[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 3 | |||
| Total | 118 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 143 | 8 | ||
| Roma | 2022–23 | Serie A | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 8[d] | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11[d] | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | ||||
| 2024–25 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 10[d] | 1 | — | 43 | 1 | ||||
| 2025–26 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 10[d] | 0 | — | 45 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 106 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | — | 151 | 2 | ||||
| Juventus | 2026–27 | Serie A | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[d] | 2 | — | 9 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 329 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 58 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 407 | 15 | ||
- Includes Turkish Cup, Coupe de France, Coppa Italia
- Includes Coupe de la Ligue
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
International
- As of match played 5 October 2026[19]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 2018 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 67 | 3 | |
Scores and results list Turkey's goal tally first.[19]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2 June 2019 | Bahçeşehir Okulları Stadium, Alanya, Turkey |  Uzbekistan | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 2–0 | |||||
| 3. | 11 October 2025 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria |  Bulgaria | 5–1 | 6–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Istanbulspor
Lille
Roma
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2022–23[21]
References
- "Zeki Çelik". Lille OSC. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Campanale, Susy (23 March 2026). "Celik ready to become free agent after Roma talks stall". FootballItalia.
- "Zeki Çelik Gradient Profil". Gradient F.C.
- Bettoni, Lorenzo (29 August 2026). "Serie A: Juventus vs. Parma – probable line-ups, where to watch on TV". FootballItalia.
while Zeki Celik and Andrea Cambiaso compete for a starting spot at left-back.
- Bruckner, Marco. "Celik, Juventus: ruolo, quotazione fantacalcio e statistiche". Gazetta dello Sport (in Italy).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - [2][3][4][5]
- "2026 Dünya Kupası Yolunda Milli Gururlar: Zeki Çelik". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- AA (24 December 2025). "Zeki Çelik, İtalyanların kendisine taktığı lakabı açıkladı: 'Hoşuma gidiyor'". www.hurriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- "Mehmet Zeki Çelik: Sağın yeni gözdesi - TamSaha Detay Sayfası TFF". www.tff.org. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- "Zeki Celik, international turc, est Lillois - Lille LOSC". www.losc.fr. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- "Transferts : Zeki Celik a signé à Lille". L'Équipe (in French). 8 July 2018. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- "Lille vs. Rennes - 11 August 2018 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- "Official: Zeki Çelik joins Roma from Lille - A.S. Roma". www.romapress.net. 5 July 2022.
- "Zeki Celik Completes Move to Roma". A.S. Roma. 5 July 2022. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- "Zeki Celik signs for Juventus!". Juventus F.C. Juventus F.C. Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- "UEFA Europa League, League Phase". www.espn.com. Retrieved 17 September 2026.
- "RUSYA 1–1 TÜRKİYE – A Milli Takım Haber Detayları TFF". www.tff.org. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- "2026 Turkey World Cup roster: Complete 26-man team". 2 June 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- "Mehmet Zeki Çelik". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- "Lille hold their nerve to clinch their first Ligue 1 title for a decade". The Guardian. 23 May 2021. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- Lowe, Sid (31 May 2023). "Montiel edges Sevilla to seventh Europa League triumph with win over Roma". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
External links
- Profile at the Juventus FC website
- Zeki Çelik at the Turkish Football Federation
- Zeki Çelik – UEFA competition record (archive)