Manager appears to confirm £25m Everton deal is dead as ‘we won’t let him go’

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Wilfried Gnonto now appears to be staying at Leeds United after Premier League strugglers Everton failed with a new bid worth £25 million for the Italy international. 

After the summer from hell at Elland Road, the Leeds United supporters needed a day like today. Not only are Leeds seemingly closing in on arguably the finest centre-forward in the Championship – Joel Piroe set for a medical after the Yorkshire giants agreed a £12 million fee with Swansea City – Daniel Farke is also ready to welcome Wilfried Gnonto back into the fold. 

Gnonto missed Leeds’ last two games, handing in a written transfer request and, by Farke’s own admission, having ‘refused to play’. Everton submitted a number of bids, including one of £25 million (The Athletic). 

But it appears that wantaway Willy has finally come to the conclusion that he is fighting a losing battle; Leeds refusing to sell and under no pressure to do so either. Unlike so many of his former team-mates, there is no release clause in the teenager’s contract. 

Everton miss out as Wilfried Gnonto makes Leeds apology

“We made the point we won’t let him go. And because of that he made it clear he didn’t feel right to play, and more or less refused to play,” Farke tells Leeds Live. “So, I had to take some leadership and say ‘you don’t train with the group, and we can’t let this situation affect the group’. 

“At the beginning of the week, he came to see me in order to explain his situation. He apologised (and said) that he made a mistake. He spoke to the whole club and has lots of support from them.

“We are 100 per cent on the same page.”

Gnonto could make his first league appearance since the opening day when Leeds travel to early pace-setters Ipswich Town on Saturday.

“I liked Willy’s explanation and the fact he apologised,” Farke says of a player who, on paper, could form one third of the division’s most exciting frontline alongside Piroe and Daniel James or Luis Sinisterra.  

“(Gnonto) said he is 100 per cent ready if I choose to play him. He’s 100 per cent ready to fight, so I gave him a second chance and he is trying to impress and earn his spot in the squad.” 

Everton remain in the market for attacking reinforcements, having failed to find the net in either of their two Premier League fixtures so far. Sean Dyche’s side are also bidding for Southampton’s Che Adams, and could yet lose Demarai Gray to Saudi Arabia.