Arsenal have been linked with Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto in recent days.
Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport – via Sport Witness – claimed the Gunners are eyeing the Azzurri international.
As well as Arsenal, the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea are also in pursuit of the Elland Road gem.
And the Gunners may be able to pick Gnonto up for a relatively modest sum.
The report claims that Leeds have ‘no intention of selling him unless a €30-40m (£26.5m-£35.5m) offer arrives’.
For a young, talented, Premier League-proven forward who’s already a senior international, that’s not that steep.
And if Leeds don’t stay up in the top flight, the likelihood of Gnonto leaving in the summer would be much higher.
Arsenal would be getting themselves a “phenomenal” talent in the Italy international.
Arsenal target Gnonto – factfile
Leeds deserve credit for taking a chance on the youngster when he was still playing for Zurich.
Italy manager Roberto Mancini has questioned why no Serie A club moved for Gnonto in the last two windows.
“Why did nobody sign Gnonto?” Leeds Live quotes Mancini as saying about the “phenomenal” player.
“He could have gone to Fiorentina, Sampdoria.
“He could have played for any team, but he is a starter in the Premier League.”
The Serie A’s loss is the Premier League’s gain, as Gnonto has been phenomenal in the English top flight.
It didn’t take long for him to break into the Leeds starting XI and become a fan favourite at Elland Road.
Gnonto has made 20 appearances for the Whites, scoring four goals and registering three assists.
Scouting outlet Foot The Ball recently sung the youngster’s praises.
‘Gnonto is a menace to the opposition when he has the ball at his feet,’ they wrote in their in-depth analysis piece.
‘And the youngster has the ability to move the ball forward equally well through passing or carrying it.
‘Gnonto is the classic definition of the modern winger who usually tries to receive the ball near the touchline to widen the field as much as possible and also destroy the opposing team’s shape.
‘However, he likes to drift inside once near the goal and get the ball on his favoured right foot.
‘At Leeds, he has also added another important skill; tracking back to help his team out defensively.
‘Despite preferring to play as an inverted winger, Gnonto is also very accurate with crosses, something not usually seen in these types of players.
‘Furthermore, his passing, especially in the in the final third of the pitch, could improve, making him an even more dangerous player.’
On Twitter, fans have compared Gnonto to Bukayo Saka, Sadio Mane, Rod Wallace, Max Gradel and Craig Bellamy.
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