Despite reports that Gnonto was close to leaving in January, the website said on January 23 that the youthful star is expected to remain at Elland Road, with a contract agreed upon.
Keeping the 20-year-old at Leeds is said to be a “big coup” for Daniel Farke, with Everton interested in signing the winger last summer and West Ham keeping tabs on him this month
A smart deal
It has been a strange situation for the Leeds hierarchy and Farke to deal with. A young, hungry and emotional player, such as Gnonto, can be hard to keep control of.
He wanted to force a move away from Leeds after the club’s relegation from the Premier League last season. However, having now agreed to more years with the Whites, the club has secured talent for the future.
Even without being able to get a shoo-in ahead of Dan James or Crysencio Summerville right now, Gnonto offers an extremely dangerous option from the bench, despite only recording one goal and one assist in the championship so far.
He has made 21 appearances in all competitions this season. However, the majority of these have come as substitutes. The current campaign has been a difficult change for the winger, having experienced a stellar breakout season in the Premier League.
But as Leeds continue to aim for Premier League promotion, Gnonto will be able to play his part in achieving that goal. The idea of playing football in the top division again could spur him on to perform better in white.
It could still be the case that the Italian international grows frustrated at Elland Road amid lack of game time. But with a new contract signed, Leeds are more likely to get a bigger fee for the player if they do decide to sell him.
In another development:
Leeds United: Pundit tips Liam Cooper Elland Road exit talks done after Phil Hay update
Paul Robinson, a former England custodian, is joining us as an exclusive contributor. He will be sharing his thoughts on the main talking issues at Leeds United every week.
Paul Robinson claims that Liam Cooper is probably already aware of whether he will be leaving Leeds United this season, as there have probably already been private discussions.
On January 19, Phil Hay stated to the Square Ball that he did not anticipate the club captain or fellow veteran Stuart Dallas to get contract extensions anytime soon.
Due to the loss of another important player, 32-year-old Luke Ayling, to Middlesbrough on loan earlier this month, Robinson thinks it was a “big decision” to erode one of the Championship’s best teams.
Although it hasn’t been made public, the Elland Road captain has reportedly been a “fantastic servant” to the team, so he may already be aware of the plan for his future as his contract is set to expire in the summer.
“I believe he is probably aware of the situation, but we don’t have access to that knowledge,” the former Whites and
“There’s a lot of talk in the media and speculation about different people and players where conversations have gone on inside training grounds. We don’t know that they haven’t.
“Liam Cooper has been an incredible asset to Leeds, and he continues to be so when he assumes the captaincy responsibilities both on and off the pitch. He is someone who has the club’s best interests at heart because of the devotion he has demonstrated by earning promotions in the Premier League.
Like Luke Ayling, he too deserves a say in how it is managed and carried out, no matter how his future turns out.
“At this point in the season, losing anybody—Liam Cooper or Luke Ayling, for example—is a major choice since the squad is performing so well.
“It’s a big call to take people out of a good scenario, as the squad is performing so well.
“I can see why Luke chose to attend Middlesbrough. He likes to play games and play football.
“However, we have one of the best teams in the Championship, if not the best, behind Leicester. There’s no justification for making any changes to it in January.
