Willy Gnonto to pass Jesse Marsch stress test before decision on Leeds United future is taken - YEP 19/9/22
A decision is still to be taken on Leeds United’s deadline day signing Willy Gnonto regarding his position as an Under-21 player or first-teamer at Elland Road
By Joe Donnohue
Teenage Leeds forward Willy Gnonto faces a prolonged
audition of sorts during his first couple of weeks as a United player.
After Jesse Marsch deemed the Italy attacker ‘not ready’ for
Premier League football a matter of weeks before his eventual, expedited
arrival, the 18-year-old has once again been called up to Roberto Mancini’s
senior Azzurri squad, posing questions over which classification the ex-FC
Zürich forward falls into.
Following Gnonto’s Elland Road bow in the Under-21s' 6-2 win
over Southampton last weekend, the youngsters’ head coach Michael Skubala
stated a decision was yet to be taken on where the Italy international fits
into the framework at Leeds.
"I think it's early days. I think it's really early
days,” Skubala said.
"I think for us to get Willy in the building and start
working out and see what we can develop – you've seen what he can do in
possession.
"That takes time and as we see more, as Jesse sees
more, then Jesse makes those decisions, really.”
Gnonto has spent just under three weeks as a Leeds player,
but is said to be integrating well at Thorp Arch.
Skubala stated all interactions had been positive so far,
and Gnonto’s strong grasp of English had helped his coalescence at Leeds.
“His English is good, which you know, when you come from
abroad, sometimes that takes a bit of time, but his English is very good.
"He's a very intelligent young man. He's obviously
played at a really top, top level internationally,” Skubala said of Gnonto.
Over the next two weeks, Gnonto will return to the continent
where he will join up with Italy’s squad at their training base in Coverciano.
This is likely to delay the passing of Marsch’s stress test,
although positive performances in Italy’s UEFA Nations’ League fixtures against
England and Hungary could accelerate Gnonto’s path to first-team consideration.
It is understood club officials at Elland Road are quietly
optimistic about Gnonto as a prospect, reflected by the 18-year-old’s inclusion
on the 2022 Golden Boy shortlist – an individual prize awarded by sports
journalists to Europe’s most exciting young player in a calendar year.
