Nicolò Zaniolo’s contract dispute stalls Udinese plans

Italian midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo, whose loan was converted into a permanent transfer from Galatasaray to Udinese, is at the centre of a contract standoff. The club offered a salary of €1.5 million per season plus €300 k in bonuses, but Zaniolo and his agent Claudio Vigorelli have complained that the bonus structure is unsatisfactory. The disagreement delayed the signing of a new deal and led the player to miss several training sessions, providing a medical certificate as justification.

Udinese’s management, including director Gianluca Nani and president Gino Pozzo, have indicated that Zaniolo remains a key part of coach Kosta Runjaic’s project, while warning that further absences could trigger financial sanctions or exclusion from the squad. Meanwhile, other Serie A clubs such as Lazio and Juventus have been linked to the player, keeping market speculation alive as the club seeks to resolve the impasse before the summer training camp.