Udinese midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo has submitted a medical certificate to explain his absence from pre-season training at the Bruseschi centre, deepening a situation that the Friulani had every reason to believe was resolved. The 27-year-old has not joined his teammates under coach Kosta Runjaić as the squad prepares for 2025-26, and the certificate has done little to ease the tension surrounding his status.
The timing is particularly awkward for Udinese. Just days earlier, the club and Zaniolo had announced a contract renewal described as definitive, with technical director Gokhan Inler publicly declaring that Zaniolo would remain in Friuli and characterising him as a player with "fire inside" who responds to daily pressure. That confidence now sits uneasily alongside the image of a training ground missing its most prominent creative presence.
What makes the absence harder to read in isolation is the broader market noise surrounding Udinese this window. Juventus have been monitoring Zaniolo's situation, and a summit between Milan and Udinese included the player among the names discussed. Inler's public insistence that Zaniolo stays carries weight — club officials rarely go on record without purpose — but the medical certificate introduces a variable that no contract announcement can fully neutralise.
The sporting case for keeping him is straightforward. Across 32 Serie A appearances last season, Zaniolo contributed five goals and six assists, carrying an average match rating of 6.80 in a side that finished 10th with 50 points from 37 matches. For a team that scored 45 times all season, his combined 11 goal involvements represent a meaningful share of the attacking output. An AI assessment places his current overall at 75 out of 100, with a ceiling of 82 — figures that explain why clubs above Udinese in the table are paying attention.
Zaniolo's career has always moved in cycles of promise, disruption, and partial redemption. The renewal suggested Udinese had found a version of him willing to commit to a project rather than use it as a platform. Whether the medical certificate reflects a genuine health issue, a negotiating posture, or something more complicated, the club cannot afford extended uncertainty. The window is open, rivals are circling, and a squad built around Runjaić's system needs to know who will be in it.
Udinese have managed this situation publicly with composure so far. The next move belongs to Zaniolo.