Leeds United rejected £23m top flight bid for attacker primed for start against Portsmouth — YEP 6/8/24
By Graham Smyth
Leeds United rejected a £23m bid for Willy Gnonto this
summer and though his future remains uncertain the Whites hope to keep the
winger beyond the transfer window.
It is almost a year since the club opened disciplinary
proceedings against the Italian international who, then aged 19, put in a
transfer request after telling manager Daniel Farke he did not feel he could
travel to take part in a game against Birmingham City. Leeds released a
statement ahead of the St Andrew's fixture revealing that Gnonto and his agents
had been informed he would not be sold this summer. It read: "Following
those conversations, Willy felt he was unable to play in Wednesday night’s
Carabao Cup tie with Shrewsbury Town. Despite training for the last two days,
Willy has informed Daniel Farke that he still does not feel able to play this
weekend and has not travelled to Birmingham for the game tomorrow. This is now
an internal disciplinary matter and the club will make no further comment,
other than to reiterate that Willy is not for sale.”
Gnonto was not involved in the next game against West
Bromwich Albion amid interest from the Premier League Toffees and his written
request for a transfer fell on deaf ears at Elland Road.
But by August 24 Farke revealed that Gnonto had apologised
for the episode and welcomed him back into training. The German said: "He
asked if he could be involved in team training and he is 100 per centready. My
decision was to give him a second chance and if he impresses in training he
will earn a spot in the squad. I'm always open to give a young player a second
chance, but he knows that there is no third chance. The ball is in his court
now."
Gnonto was hampered by an ankle injury soon after and though
he did return to action, his season did not get going properly until February 2
at Bristol City, where he scored the game's only goal. That sparked a run of
good form and six further goals before the end of the campaign. His
performances went some way towards a rehabilitation of sorts for his
relationship with the fanbase, though there are those who have not forgiven the
transfer request.
This summer his future has once again been up in the air
with Everton still on the scene and keen to make him their second wing signing
from Leeds having secured a second loan stint for Jack Harrison. But Leeds
knocked back the £23m offer from Goodison and as it stands that appears to have
ended the conversation with Everton. The YEP understands that Gnonto has made
no noises about wanting to leave and has trained as normal since reporting back
for pre-season. His team-mate and best pal Crysencio Summerville departed
officially on Saturday in a £25m-plus deal with West Ham United, but Gnonto is
said to have developed close friendships with others in the squad, including
Brenden Aaronson - who returned to the club and became part of Farke's plans
this summer following a season on loan with Union Berlin - and Georginio
Rutter.
Now 20, Gnonto has three years left on the contract he
signed as part of a £3.8m move from FC Zurich in September 2022 and on Saturday
filled the left wing void created by Summerville's exit. Both he and Daniel
James are thought to be in pole position for the wide slots in Farke's starting
XI when the Championship season kicks off on Saturday against Portsmouth,
though Rutter, Aaronson and Joe Gelhardt are among the other options for those
roles. Leeds are in the market for a winger and would like to add Norwich City
youngster Jonathan Rowe to the squad. The Whites, though, continue to refuse to
rule anything out in terms of further departures, despite the £40m and
£25m-plus fees recouped from Spurs and West Ham respectively for Archie Gray
and Summerville. Their hope, however, is that Gnonto will grasp the opportunity
now in front of him to become a main man in the second tier, as Summerville did
last season, and remain at the club at the close of the summer transfer window.
