Keinan Davis has joined Udinese’s efforts to bring Nicolò Zaniolo back, emphasizing that the squad wants their star player among them. Speaking at the presentation of Udinese’s new home shirt, Davis addressed Zaniolo’s absence due to a contractual dispute with the club.

With quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb, Davis highlighted the importance of Zaniolo to the team.

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“Nico is a very strong player, obviously we’d all have wanted him with us now,” Davis stated. “We all love him, but the team is strong and many of last season’s players are still here. I repeat, the team is strong; obviously with Nico it would be even stronger, and we hope to see him here soon.”

UDINE, ITALY – APRIL 18: Nicolò Zaniolo of Udinese looks on during the warm-up ahead of the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and Parma Calcio 1913 at Stadio Friuli on April 18, 2026, in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

Zaniolo Absent from Udinese Training Amid Contract Dispute

The situation arises from a contractual disagreement that has complicated what seemed to be a successful trajectory. Udinese exercised their option to permanently sign Zaniolo from Galatasaray in June after he scored five goals and provided five assists in an impressive season. However, he has yet to sign the new contract, with the dispute reportedly revolving around the bonus targets linked to his salary.

Due to this disagreement, he has been absent from training, while clubs such as Milan, Juventus, and Lazio are keeping an eye on the situation.

Davis, meanwhile, chose to focus on the positive aspects of pre-season training.

“It’s nice to be back training; we’re working hard but we have a good group. It’s the third year with Runjaic, and our relationship has improved,” he said. “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.”