Idrissa Gueye, the 19-year-old Udinese forward, scored in the club's opening summer friendly as Kosta Runjaić's side came from two goals down to draw against Istra, with Gueye and Jan Piotrowski responsible for the comeback. The result itself is a footnote; the pattern it adds to is not.
For a teenager who finished the 2025-26 Serie A season with one goal across 18 appearances and an average rating of 6.50, every pre-season contribution carries disproportionate weight. Gueye is not yet a fixture in Runjaić's plans — he is still making the argument for one. A goal in a comeback, even against modest opposition, is a data point in that argument.
The context around him has shifted. Nicolò Zaniolo has signed a new contract with Udinese through 2029, resolving a salary dispute that had introduced uncertainty into the squad's attacking structure. That resolution is not straightforwardly good news for Gueye: Zaniolo's presence narrows the available space in the forward line, and a settled Zaniolo is a more competitive Zaniolo. Gueye will need to demonstrate not just that he can score, but that he offers something distinct enough to justify minutes alongside — or instead of — more established options.
Udinese finished last season in tenth place with 50 points from 37 matches, a mid-table position that reflects a squad capable of solidity but not yet of consistent attacking threat, having scored 45 goals across the campaign. Runjaić will want more from his forwards in 2026-27, and that demand creates opportunity as much as pressure.
The next test comes against Swansea. Gueye's pre-season arc now has a goal on it; the question is whether he can add the consistency that his regular-season numbers have not yet shown.