Leeds United star Wilfried Gnonto has been heavily linked with a move away from Elland Road this summer but there has been another twist in the tale.
The Italian winger handed in a transfer request last year as several clubs in the Premier League and abroad were linked with his signature, including Everton. However, a deal never came to fruition and Gnonto was eventually reintegrated into the first-team squad.
He ended up having quite a solid campaign in West Yorkshire, scoring nine goals and recording three assists in 44 appearances in all competitions for the Whites which has caused a flurry of interest in his services once more this summer.
It was recently reported that the Toffees are looking to sign the 20-year-old again. Football Insider revealed earlier this month that Leeds are willing to offload him for a figure of around £25 million, but the Merseyside club believe that £22 million will seal the deal.
Nevertheless, it looks as though Leeds United are not budging on their asking price. Football Insider have provided an update on this ongoing transfer saga, claiming that Everton are currently worried that they may be unable to match the Championship side’s valuation for the tricky wide player. Furthermore, the publication have stated that Gnonto is expected to start the season with his current club as the Whites host Portsmouth on the opening day of the campaign in less than two weeks.
Leeds still need to offload some prized assets like Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville if Daniel Farke wants to add to the arrivals of Joe Rodon, Jayden Bogle, Alex Cairns and Joe Rothwell, but it looks as though the manager will have to be patient before any more players come through the doors.
Writer’s View
It looks as though Leeds United are going to take this saga into the dying embers of the summer transfer window. Everton clearly want Gnonto and have for the guts of a year now, but the Premier League club are in a difficult financial place at present and may need to sell players, such as Jarrad Branthwaite, before making any more moves.
However, this will affect Farke’s ability to spend money to strengthen his squad before the season kicks off next week. Like the Toffees, Leeds will need to sell the likes of Gnonto and Summerville to free up some much-needed room in the transfer kitty. While it’s highly likely that both men will move on before the market closes at the end of August, it may be too late for the club to do any meaningful business which will worry supporters after failing to earn promotion to the top-flight in the previous campaign.
