Zaniolo the Phoenix – Former Roma starlet’s rebirth for Udinese | OneFootball

Udinese moved up to eighth place in Serie A after their impressive 1-0 home win over Atalanta, with Nicolo Zaniolo scoring the decisive goal and his third in his last four games.

A good cross from Ivorian winger Hassane Kamara found Zaniolo in the middle of the box and he tucked the ball neatly into the bottom corner to give the Friulian side a massive three points.

The Italian now has three goals in his last four Serie A appearances and appears to be settling in well for his new club.

“I decided to come here because I felt strong interest from the club. At this point in my career, I need to feel appreciated.”

These were the Italian’s words in September after completing a late move in the summer transfer window from Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray.

After having fallen out of favour in Turkey, two disappointing loan spells in Italy and a hefty portion of off-the-pitch controversy, the move to Udine felt like a last roll of the dice to get his career back on track.. and so far, so good.

UDINE, ITALY – NOVEMBER 01: Nicolò Zaniolo of Udinese celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and Atalanta BC at Stadio Friuli on November 01, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

Difficult years for Zaniolo after Turkey move and controversy

Nicolo Zaniolo is no stranger to the headlines.

The 1999-born forward first burst onto the scene in 2018, after joining Roma as a part of the deal that saw Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan move to Inter. He effectively cost Roma just €4.5 million, with a 15% of resale agreed.

It did not take long for Zaniolo to impress at Roma, however, and a strong breakout season resulted in the Italian being named Serie A Young Player of the Year for the 2018-19 campaign.

However, in the following season, Zaniolo suffered an ACL injury during a defeat to Juventus and, aside from a big role in Roma’s 2021-22 Conference League success, he struggled to reach his pre-injury heights.

Then, things went bad from worse and off-the-field relations with the Giallorossi soured and it was not long before the Roman side were looking to cash in. In February 2023, Galatasaray broke the then-Turkish transfer record by signing Zaniolo for €15 million, plus bonuses and a 20% sell-on clause.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – JUNE 4: Nicolo Zaniolo of Galatasaray celebrates victory during the Super Lig match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce at NEF Stadyumu on June 4, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

A strong first six months in Turkey flew by before the Italian spent the following two seasons on loan with Aston Villa one year, and half a season each at Atalanta and Fiorentina the next.

This summer, Udinese decided it was their turn to see if they could reinvigorate some of Zaniolo’s spark. He signed on loan on deadline day, with two potential buy-out clauses included in the loan contract.

Udinese can spend €5 million on the player and give Galatasaray 50% of any future sale. Alternatively, the Bianconeri can spend €10 million and purchase him outright.

Zaniolo back in business after impressive October for Udinese

The Italian’s first two appearances for Udinese came as a substitute in the 1-0 win over Pisa and the 3-0 loss to Milan, playing a combined 60 minutes cross the fixtures.

After that, he made his full debut in Coppa Italia against Palermo, where he scored the opener in a 2-1 victory.

However, it was only in the last month or so that he has started to pay dividends for Udinese’s investment.

Two weeks ago, Zaniolo scored the equaliser to snatch a point away at newly promoted Cremonese, before playing well but not scoring in the 3-2 win against Lecce five days later.

ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 02: Nicolo Zaniolo of Atalanta celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Atalanta at Stadio Olimpico on December 02, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Last week, Zaniolo scored Udinese’s only goal in a 3-1 away loss against Juventus and got himself on the scoresheet again with the winner against Atalanta on Saturday afternoon.

Zaniolo has been deployed as a striker for Kosta Runjaic at Udinese, sometimes pushing further up and making runs in behind the opposition defence, but at other times settling into more of a second-striker role. He appears to be developing good chemistry with the Friulian side’s many other forwards, having started alongside Adam Buksa, Keinan Davis and Vakoun Bayo over the last few matches.

For now, consistency will be key. If the Italian can continue to prove his worth, there is nothing to say he could not earn a place back in Italy’s squad at next summer’s World Cup. Obviously it is a high target at this point but with the unpredictability of injuries and unavailability, it would not take much for a Zaniolo-sized gap to open up.