Udinese striker Keinan Davis has publicly appealed for Nicolò Zaniolo to return to the squad as the Italy international’s contract dispute with the Serie A club extends into pre-season.
Speaking at the presentation of the club’s new home shirt, Davis emphasised the dressing room’s desire to see their attacking teammate back in training. “Nico is a very strong player, obviously we’d all have wanted him with us now,” Davis told TuttoMercatoWeb. The English forward added that the squad remains robust with the majority of last season’s players retained, though they would be significantly stronger with Zaniolo’s involvement.
Contract terms stall permanent transfer
The impasse threatens to unravel what initially appeared a straightforward acquisition. The Friulian club activated their purchase clause to secure Zaniolo permanently from Galatasaray in June, following a productive campaign in which the forward contributed five goals and five assists. However, the 25-year-old has refused to countersign the new agreement, with the deadlock reportedly revolving around the proportion of his earnings linked to performance bonus targets. Consequently, he has stayed away from training sessions as the dispute remains unresolved.
Serie A giants monitoring situation
The ongoing uncertainty has attracted attention from elsewhere in Italy. Milan, Juventus and Lazio are all monitoring developments, positioning themselves to potentially capitalise should the negotiations collapse entirely.
Davis, meanwhile, struck an optimistic tone regarding the squad’s preparations under manager Kosta Runjaic. The striker noted that this marks their third campaign working together and that their understanding has grown stronger. “I can’t wait to improve myself, and if we stay united we can do even better than last season in terms of the table,” he said.
Zaniolo’s immediate future now hinges on whether the two parties can bridge their differences over financial terms. With the transfer window still open, the coming weeks could determine whether the former Roma midfielder reintegrates with the Udinese group or seeks a fresh start at one of the interested Italian heavyweights.