Leeds United will be prepared to accept an offer of between £20-30 million for first team star Wilfred Gnonto this summer, according to Football Insider.
The 20-year-old has rarely been out of the headlines over the past 12 months. Following the Whites’ relegation from the Premier League last season, he was linked with a number of clubs. Everton were the team that showed the strongest interest, making several bids which eventually surpassed the £25 million mark.
Daniel Farke was keen to retain the services of the winger as he attempted to navigate a path out of the Championship at the first time of asking, and the Italian international was denied a move. As a result, he reportedly handed in a transfer request. However, Leeds stood firm and he remained at Elland Road.
Following the closure of the transfer window, the attacker suffered an ankle injury. Upon his return in October, he failed to regain a regular starting berth, prompting yet more speculation of an exit during the January transfer window. That proved to be nothing more than paper talk though, and Gnonto has played a more prominent role over the past few months.
With six goals and one assist since the turn of the year, the attacker has been a key part of Farke’s squad as the Yorkshire side continue to set their sights on an automatic promotion spot. However, recent form has seen them fall out of the top two with just three games remaining.
Whatever happens over the next couple of weeks, Gnonto is expected to be the subject of heavy interest this summer. As a result, it is claimed that Leeds would be prepared to accept an offer of between £20-30 million, although they would prefer closer to the £30 million mark. Despite that, there is still a hope that they can convince the player to stay but, although there is an acceptance that that would be difficult if they were to remain in the Championship.
Gnonto is under contract until 2027 having joined the Yorkshire-based club in 2022 from FC Zurich.
Writer’s View
Leeds remain a very attractive proposition for a number of clubs and that will increase should the fail to achieve promotion. Daniel Farke’s squad is littered with players that should be playing at the highest level, with Gnonto being one of them.
He had a difficult start to this season, mainly caused by his own reluctance to play in the second tier. However, after failing to secure a transfer, he has knuckled down and forced his way back into the manager’s plans. His goal contributions over the past few months have shown that the Whites were right to dig their heels in last summer, but they may face a bigger fight once their fate has been revealed over the next few weeks.
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