Idrissa Gueye insists he is progressing steadily at Udinese despite limited opportunities since his surprise move from Metz to the Italian club last summer.
The 19-year-old striker left France at the end of the 2024–2025 season to join Udinese, a decision that raised eyebrows given his rapid rise in Ligue 2.
While his start in Serie A has been challenging, Gueye says he remains confident and focused on improvement.
Gueye’s emergence at Metz came quickly. Making his breakthrough at the age of 18, the forward impressed during his first full season, earning the Ligue 2 “Young Talent of the Month” award in April.
He finished the campaign with six goals in 20 appearances, playing a key role in Metz’s promotion to Ligue 1 and attracting the attention of Senegal coach Pape Thiaw.
Despite expectations that he would continue his development in France’s top flight, the former Génération Foot player chose to move to Italy. That decision has so far brought limited rewards on the pitch, with eight appearances for Udinese, all from the bench, and no goals.
However, Gueye says the experience has been positive off the field and valuable for his development. Speaking to Foot Mercato, he said: “I settled in right away.
Things are going very well with my teammates. The city is superb, everything is going great. Honestly, since I arrived, I feel good here. The coach talks to me all the time, he helps me a lot. I’m making a lot of progress, so it’s all good. I feel good with him, so it’s all good (…)”
He added: “First, I’m aiming to get a lot more playing time. Then, I also want to score goals, that’s what all strikers say (laughs). That’s what I’m working on right now. Anyway, that’s the goal. The coach is helping me improve. It’s going to take as long as it takes. That’s the goal.”
Gueye also highlighted the physical demands of Italian football, describing clear differences from his experience in France. “Here, I can say it’s a bit tougher, especially when you’re a striker… Here, the defenders are strong… That’s why since I arrived, I haven’t stopped working… It’s tough, really.”
Despite the difficulties, Gueye says his focus remains firmly on Udinese. “For now, I’m not talking about the future… Right now, I only want to talk about Udinese. I want to help the team achieve its goals.”
For the young striker, patience, work and progress remain the priorities as he looks to make his mark in Italy.
