Wilfried Gnonto would prefer to stay in the Premier League as West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Everton target the recently-relegated Leeds winger.
When the Italy international’s agent indicated that Wilfried Gnonto would be staying at Elland Road for at least another season at the start of May, his comments came as a massive relief to a Leeds United fanbase preparing themselves for a return to the Championship.
The confirmation of Leeds’ relegation a few weeks’ later, however, appears to have altered Gnonto’s stance somewhat.
“We’re focused on the Under21 European Championship, then we’ll talk to Leeds and we’ll see,” Claudio Vigorelli now tells TV Play, striking a very different tone to a month ago.
“There’s no shortage of options. But given his experience in the Premier Fantastic League, the idea would be to continue in that direction.”
Wilfried Gnonto could leave Leeds United
With The Mirror reporting that West Ham and Crystal Palace are interested – Everton too – Vigorelli was not wrong when he said that Gnonto had ‘no shortage of options’ available to him.
There is also admiring glances coming his way from Serie A; AC Milan reportedly keen to bring the former Inter starlet back to San Siro with Leeds holding out for a fee in the region of £17 million.
‘He looks really, really good’
A bargain £4 million signing from FC Zurich on deadline day last summer, the twinkle-toed teenager was a ray of light in a dark season at Elland Road. His searing pace and devastating directness helped secure dramatic wins over Liverpool and Bournemouth, before Gnonto opened the scoring against bitter rivals Manchester United after just 55 seconds at Old Trafford.
“To see someone so mature, so young is very unusual in that position,” Gary Neville told Sky Sports during Leeds’ 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in January.
“Sometimes you see potential and talent. But watching him so closely, his understanding of where to be, his choice of pass, when to run with it, his awareness of teammates… Really good, honestly.
“Leeds fans won’t like me saying that because I’m not selling him off. I’m sure they want to see him for another few years at Leeds United. (But) he looks really, really good. So mature in his decision-making.”
Leeds, who are reportedly closing in on a deal to make former Norwich City boss Daniel Farke their new head coach, could also lose Crysencio Summerville, Rodrigo Moreno, Marc Roca, Junior Firpo and more following the confirmation of their return to the EFL.
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