Nicolò Zaniolo and the contract agreed in “five minutes” - which could now become a problem

Udinese yesterday completed the permanent signing of Nicolò Zaniolo. The announcement came with a fairly triumphant tone, after the club paid €5m plus 50% of any future resale.

“He is a Udinese player on a permanent basis. Udinese Calcio announce that they have exercised their option to sign Nicolò Zaniolo outright from Galatasaray. The player has signed a contract with the club until 30 June 2029. After the experience gained in Friuli last season, Zaniolo will continue his journey in black and white, confirming the shared desire to bring continuity to a technical project built on quality, ambition and growth.”

The issue is that Zaniolo arrived in Udine in the final minutes of the last transfer window. In order to close the deal quickly and avoid remaining at Galatasaray SK, he signed what was effectively intended to be a bridge contract.

He had been earning around €3m per season in Turkey. In Friuli, he now earns roughly €1m - more or less the ceiling for the Pozzo family’s club. In practical terms, until 2029 he would be set to receive almost the same total amount he would have earned by staying in Istanbul, whether he played or not.

In Zaniolo’s view, that may be rather little.

That leaves two basic paths. Either Udinese agree a new deal on higher wages - around €1.6m to €1.8m per year - allowing the player to earn more, or the situation turns into a stand-off that would suit none of the parties involved.