COMO, ITALY – JANUARY 03: Nicolo’ Zaniolo of Udinese Calcio interacts with Hassane Kamara of Udinese Calcio during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and Udinese Calcio at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on January 03, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Udinese have made Nicolo Zaniolo’s move from Galatasaray permanent, but the striker is ‘disappointed and frustrated’ amid an ongoing dispute over his salary, his agent has revealed.
Udinese have activated a clause to sign Zaniolo on a permanent transfer from Galatasaray after the striker’s one-season loan spell in 2025-26.
Udinese make Zaniolo’s move permanent
According to Fabrizio Romano, it’s a deal worth €5m with a 50% sell-on clause for Galatasaray.
Zaniolo, 26, scored seven goals and provided seven assists in 34 appearances across all competitions with Udinese, convincing the Bianconeri to retain him on a permanent transfer.
During an exclusive interview with Football Italia just a few weeks ago, Udinese director Gokhan Inler praised Zaniolo for his performances in the 2025-26 campaign, arguing that the Italian deserved a spot in the Azzurri squad for the World Cup qualifiers.
The Italian striker, however, is dissatisfied with recent negotiation discussions with Udinese and has expressed his concerns through his agent.
“We are certainly pleased with the impact Nicolò has had at Udinese, but it will now be necessary to reach an agreement regarding his salary for his stay at the club to truly rest on solid foundations,” Claudio Vigorelli told Italian media, including Gazzetta.
“The circumstances that brought Nicolò to Udinese last summer were shaped by a race against time in the final minutes of the [summer] transfer window. As a result, the contractual salary terms agreed for Nicolò in the event of a permanent transfer did not reflect his true value.
“Together with Udinese, we decided to sign and complete the deal based on the understanding that, before the purchase option was exercised, we would sit down and negotiate new terms.
“Today, Nicolò feels bitterly disappointed and frustrated by the circumstances that have led to this permanent transfer. Nevertheless, we remain open to discussion with Udinese in order to clarify our respective positions, in the hope of reaching an agreement that satisfies both parties.”