CLUB SNAPSHOT: At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Club | Udinese Calcio |
| League | Serie A |
| Manager | Paolo Zanetti (appointed November 2026) |
| Stadium | Bluenergy Stadium |
| Nickname | I Bianconeri / Friulani |
| Founded | 1896 |
| First-Choice Striker | Keinan Davis |
| Supporting Forward | Idrissa Gueye |
| Marquee Trequartista | Nicolò Zaniolo |
| Key Departure | Vakoun Bayo (frozen out) |
| Defining Trait | A forward line built around a creative striker whose body cannot be relied upon |
The Defining Moment
Udinese’s forward line entered the 2026/27 season with a clarity that masked a fragile foundation. Keinan Davis was the undisputed centre-forward, a 28-year-old Englishman whose physical presence and link-up play had earned him a contract extension until 2031 and the admiration of clubs like AC Milan. Around him, Nicolò Zaniolo operated as the trequartista, the explosive Italian whose fitness had always been the question he could not answer. The pair were identified in pre-season as “the strength of Udinese,” the two players upon whom the season would depend.
The defining problem emerged almost immediately. Davis, for all his quality, had missed 12 games through eight separate injuries over the previous two years. His body could not be trusted to withstand the demands of a full Serie A campaign. By late October, he had made six appearances, contributed two assists, and scored no league goals. The creative forward who dropped deep to link play was doing exactly that—but the goals that Udinese needed from their number nine were not arriving.
The defining tension of Udinese’s forward season is therefore one of dependence. When Davis plays, Udinese have a focal point who can hold the ball, bring others into play, and create chances for the trequartisti behind him. When he does not, the burden falls on Idrissa Gueye, a young Senegalese forward of obvious potential but limited Serie A experience, and on the increasingly peripheral Vakoun Bayo. The goals, when they come, have arrived from midfield—Ekkelenkamp’s three, Kamara’s two—rather than from the strikers themselves.
This is the story of Udinese’s 2026/27 forwards: a creative Englishman whose talent is undeniable but whose durability is not, a young Senegalese learning on the job, and a trequartista whose fitness determines whether the entire attacking structure functions or fragments.
Tactical Context
Runjaic’s 3-5-2, and subsequently Zanetti’s adaptation of it, places the centre-forward at the apex of the attacking structure. But Davis is not a traditional penalty-box striker. His profile is that of a “creative forward who drops off the front line to create chances as often as he takes them,” leading his statistical bracket on creativity, finishing, and short passing. He is at his best when receiving the ball with his back to goal, holding off defenders, and laying it off for the advancing trequartisti and mezzali.
This interpretation of the role explains why Udinese’s goals have come from elsewhere. Davis’s 261 minutes by late September yielded two assists but no goals. His value is in the build-up, not the finish. When Zaniolo is fit and operating behind him, the structure works: Davis occupies the centre-backs, Zaniolo attacks the space, and the midfielders arrive late. When Zaniolo is absent, as he frequently has been, the structure collapses into a single focal point with no one to exploit the space he creates.
The tactical question Zanetti inherited was how to extract goals from a forward line that lacks a natural finisher. His consideration of dropping Ekkelenkamp deeper, discussed in the midfield review, was one part of the equation. The other was finding a way to get Davis closer to goal without sacrificing the link-play that makes him valuable. Whether that adjustment is possible with the personnel available remains the defining question of Udinese’s attacking season.
The Forwards
Keinan Davis
Davis is the focal point of Udinese’s attack and the player upon whom the entire structure depends. The 28-year-old Englishman, born in Stevenage and capped by Jamaica, arrived from Aston Villa via Watford and Nottingham Forest, and his 14 goals in 65 appearances for Udinese since 2023 reflect a respectable but not prolific return. His contract extension until 2031 was a statement of intent from the club, and the interest from AC Milan was a testament to his quality.
His profile is that of a modern, creative centre-forward. Standing 189cm and left-footed, Davis combines physical strength with surprising technical quality. His strongest attributes are creativity, dribbling, short passing, and stamina; his weaker areas are aggression, first touch, and crossing. He is not a poacher. He is a facilitator, a player whose value lies in what he creates for others rather than what he scores himself.
The problem is his body. Eight injuries in two years, 12 games missed, and a current absence that has left Udinese relying on younger, less proven options. When Davis is fit, he is one of Serie A’s most interesting forwards—a player whose profile is closer to a creative false nine than to a traditional number nine. When he is not, Udinese’s attacking structure loses its anchor.
Idrissa Gueye
Gueye is the young alternative, a Senegalese forward whose opportunities have increased as Davis’s fitness has fluctuated. His profile is that of a developing centre-forward, capable of operating as a lone striker or alongside a partner, and his energy and movement offer a different dimension to Davis’s more static link-play.
His limitations are those of inexperience. Gueye is not yet a reliable finisher at Serie A level, and his positioning and decision-making in the box remain works in progress. But at 20, he represents both an immediate option and a long-term investment. The club’s decision to rely on him as the primary backup to Davis, rather than investing in a more established alternative, reflects both financial constraints and a belief in his potential.
Nicolò Zaniolo
Zaniolo is listed as a forward in some squad classifications and a midfielder in others, a reflection of his hybrid role as a trequartista who operates behind the striker. His importance to Udinese’s attacking structure cannot be overstated: when fit, he is the player who turns Davis’s link-play into goalscoring opportunities.
His season has been disrupted by injury, as it always is. Five appearances, one goal, 245 minutes by late October. His return to training after the international break, with “all his muscles in order,” was identified by Zanetti as a key step in Udinese’s recovery. At 27, Zaniolo remains a player of immense talent whose career has been defined by what he cannot do rather than what he can.
Vakoun Bayo
Bayo is the forgotten forward, a 29-year-old Ivorian who has been frozen out of the first-team picture. His error against Como in August—a miss that cost Udinese two points—was identified as a symbol of his limitations, and the club’s pursuit of alternative forwards throughout the summer reflected a desire to move beyond him. By late October, his role was marginal at best.
Lazar Jovanović
Jovanović is the summer arrival, a 19-year-old Serbian forward signed from Stuttgart for approximately €6.5 million plus bonuses. His profile is that of a right-sided attacker who operates on the inverted foot, offering cover for Zaniolo and another option in the trequartisti rotation. At 19, he is a long-term investment rather than an immediate solution.
The Numbers Game
TABLE A: Udinese Forward Serie A Statistics (2026/27)
| Player | Apps | Minutes | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keinan Davis | 6 | 261 | 0 | 2 |
| Idrissa Gueye | — | — | — | — |
| Nicolò Zaniolo | 5 | 245 | 1 | 0 |
| Vakoun Bayo | — | — | — | — |
TABLE B: Udinese Forward Unit – Key Metrics (2026/27)
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Davis Serie A Goals | 0 | In 261 minutes |
| Davis Assists | 2 | Leads strikers in assists |
| Davis Injuries (2 years) | 8 | 12 games missed |
| Top Scorer | Ekkelenkamp (3) | Midfielder |
TABLE C: Forward Career Context & Pedigree
| Player | Nationality | Previous Clubs | Style Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keinan Davis | Jamaica/England | Aston Villa, Watford, Forest | Creative forward, link-play, injury-prone |
| Idrissa Gueye | Senegal | Udinese Academy | Developing, energetic, unproven |
| Nicolò Zaniolo | Italy | Roma, Galatasaray, Villa | Powerful, direct, trequartista |
| Lazar Jovanović | Serbia | Stuttgart | Inverted winger, developing |
Tactical Identity & Squad Balance
Udinese’s forward line reflects a club that gambled on quality over durability. The decision to extend Davis’s contract until 2031, despite his injury record, was a statement of belief in his profile. The decision not to invest in a proven alternative during the summer, despite the obvious risk, was a gamble that the creative Englishman’s body would hold up.
The early-season evidence suggests the gamble has not paid off. Davis has contributed assists but no goals, and his minutes have been managed carefully to protect against further breakdowns. Zaniolo’s fitness has been similarly unreliable. The result is a forward line that has been functional in build-up but toothless in the box, and a team whose goalscoring burden has fallen on midfielders who were signed to create, not finish.
The vulnerability identified by analysts is the lack of a proven goalscorer. Davis’s value is in what he creates, not what he scores. Gueye is unproven. Bayo is unwanted. Jovanović is a teenager. If Zanetti is to lift Udinese away from the relegation zone, he needs either Davis to stay fit and add goals to his link-play, or Gueye to develop faster than his years suggest is possible.
The Verdict from the Camp
Paolo Poggi, on the Zaniolo-Davis partnership:
“In the first meeting I admired a Zaniolo-Davis offensive tandem that was not bad at all. The two represent the strength of Udinese, a large part will depend on them, therefore, if they continue on the path already undertaken last year.”
Scouting report on Keinan Davis:
“A forward who drops off the front line to create chances as often as he takes them. Leads on Creativity, Finishing, Short passing. His strongest attributes are creativity, dribbling, short passing, stamina and decisive moments, while aggression, first touch and crossing are his weaker areas. He has missed 12 games through eight injuries over the past two years and is currently injured.”
DAZN, on the attacking hierarchy:
“At the centre of the attack Keinan Davis is the main reference, thanks to physical strength, ball protection and the ability to attack the area. Ekkelenkamp and Davis represent two fixed points.”
Where Next?
Udinese’s forward priority is clear: they need Davis to stay fit, and they need him to score. The creative link-play is valuable, but a centre-forward who has not scored in six league appearances is a luxury that a side fighting relegation cannot afford. Zanetti’s task is to find a way to get Davis closer to goal without losing the build-up contribution that makes him unique.
The development of Gueye is the most intriguing subplot. If the young Senegalese can establish himself as a reliable alternative, Udinese possess a forward capable of sharing the burden and offering a different profile. If he cannot, the reliance on Davis’s fragile body becomes even more precarious.
The January window may offer an opportunity to add a proven goalscorer, but Udinese’s financial constraints and the summer’s investment in Jovanović suggest that significant spending is unlikely. Zanetti must work with what he has: a creative Englishman whose body cannot be trusted, a young Senegalese learning his trade, and a trequartista whose fitness determines whether the entire structure functions.
For now, Udinese’s forwards are a unit built on talent and fragility: a striker whose best attribute is creating rather than scoring, a supporting cast whose contributions have yet to ease the burden on a midfield that was not built to carry the load, and a club whose survival hopes depend on whether the gamble on Davis’s durability pays off before it is too late.
