Wilfried Gnonto ‘will stay at Leeds’ if two requirements are now met
It is anticipated that Wilfried Gnonto, a forward for Leeds United, would stay at Elland Road past the winter transfer deadline. During the summer, the Italy international was linked to a move to Everton and even filed a formal transfer request. Three teams, including the Toffees, are reportedly considering a possible trade for the 20-year-old in the upcoming season.
The Elland Road transfer rumour mill has focused on Wilfried Gnonto, a forward for Leeds United.
Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto will remain with the team if they can return to the Premier League this season, according to an internal transfer decision made by journalist Ben Jacobs at Elland Road.
After being relegated from the top flight the previous season, head coach Daniel Farke has been entrusted with leading the Whites back to the top division this time around.
In search of Premier League football, Gnonto was expected to leave Leeds during the last transfer window, along with a number of other important players. The winger is still with the team, though, and is probably going to be around to help them in their promotion chase once the winter transfer window closes.
Gnonto’s summer transfer saga
Gnonto attracted the attention of multiple Premier League teams during the summer transfer window after making his way into Leeds’ senior team last season after joining for £3.8 million from FC Zurich. The Whites’ strong insistence on keeping the player at Elland Road had been undermined by their championship status, which was made worse by the exits of important players like Tyler Adams and Rodrigo Moreno.
Granonto filed a formal transfer request after Everton showed interest in his services, according to a report by The Athletic’s David Ornstein with less than two weeks left in the summer transfer window. The Toffees had many bids for the 20-year-old turned down, including their last £25 million attempt to get the Italy international.
Leeds announced that they would begin disciplinary action against the player after he declined to play for Farke’s team in Championship matches against West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City. Farke chose to reintegrate Gnonto into training prior to negotiating his return to the team after turning down Everton’s most recent offer.
Ultimately, Everton withdrew from the competition to sign the forward. In addition, Jacobs said that he thinks the player isn’t dissatisfied with his lack of playing time and that there are still chances for him to make the team.
| Wilfried Gnonto – 2023/24 Championship stats vs current teammates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Output | Squad rank | |
| Dribbles per game | 1.4 | 4th |
| Fouled per game | 1.7 | 4th |
| Assists | 1 | =5th |
| Shots per game | 1.1 | 5th |
| Goals | 1 | =6th |
| Overall rating | 6.55 | 14th |
| Stats according to WhoScored | ||
Ben Jacobs update – Wilfried Gnonto
Jacobs suggests that even with Everton’s current form surge, Gnonto is unlikely to leave Leeds in the winter transfer window because there’s no assurance he’ll be a top-tier player come summertime. But if he doesn’t play and the Whites don’t earn promotion, then the winger’s future might come under scrutiny. Jacobs made clear.
“I think that from Gnonto’s point of view, he would be the same as well [wanting to see what the future at Leeds holds]. Leaving mid-season to a Premier League club, even though Everton, whom he was most strongly linked with, have made a very positive start to the season, you don’t know where you will be at the end of the campaign.
“You also don’t know where Leeds will be at the end of the season. Gnonto didn’t want to move to Everton because he hated it at Leeds. It was because he wanted to play in the Premier League. So, if you move mid-season, who knows whether you’ll be in the Premier League at the end of the season if you move to a top-flight club? And if you stay at Leeds, you might be in the Premier League for the following season because they might get promoted. So, there are almost too many variables, both for Leeds and Gnonto, to be making any rash decisions on his future in January.
“If it got to the end of the season, and he was playing, then there’ll be no debate that he will stay at Leeds if they get promoted. If they don’t get promoted, it’s a different story.”
Wilfried Gnonto transfer news
Leeds’ upcoming fixtures
Leeds hopes to narrow the deficit when they resume domestic play following the international break. Leeds is currently sitting third in the Championship, eight points shy of an automatic promotion spot to the Premier League.
The Whites’ Friday night match against their Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United will take place at AESSEAL New York Stadium on November 24. In an attempt to gain ground on Leicester City and Ipswich Town going into December, Farke’s team hosts Swansea City on November 29 to cap off the month.
