Udinese midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo has moved closer to signing a new contract with the Friulani, with progress reported in talks just days after the standoff between player and club had appeared close to rupture. The development arrives as Udinese open their preseason schedule and Milan, who had been monitoring the situation, wait to see whether a deal materialises.
The significance is considerable. Zaniolo, 27, finished 2025-26 with five goals and six assists across 32 Serie A appearances, carrying an average rating of 6.80 — the kind of consistent output that made him central to Kosta Runjaić's plans and simultaneously attractive to clubs with greater resources. Losing him on a free or at a discount would have been a damaging outcome for a side that finished tenth with 50 points. Retaining him, if the contract is signed, removes that vulnerability before the window closes.
The human element has also surfaced publicly. Striker Keinan Davis added his voice to the club's efforts to resolve the situation, urging Zaniolo to commit — an unusual but telling intervention that signals how the dressing room views the midfielder's importance. Clubs rarely need players to lobby each other when the atmosphere is indifferent.
Udinese director general Pierpaolo Collavino had previously kept his language deliberately spare on the subject, signalling that the club's patience was finite. The reported progress in talks suggests that summit produced movement, though no agreement has been confirmed.
Runjaić's side drew their first preseason friendly against Istra, with Piotrowski and Gueye recovering a two-goal deficit to level — a result of limited consequence but a useful early look at squad depth. The club has also announced a three-team tournament on August 8 involving Barcelona and Nottingham Forest, and has completed the signing of Kosovo defender Vojvoda, formerly of Torino, on a permanent deal through 2028. The squad is being assembled around a clear identity.
Whether Zaniolo is part of it remains the defining question of Udinese's summer. A player of his profile — eleven direct goal contributions in a season, with an AI potential ceiling of 82 — does not stay at a mid-table club without a compelling project and a contract that reflects his value. If the reported progress holds, Runjaić gets his most creative midfielder back. If it stalls, Milan are still watching.