The Whites were linked with an interest in the impressive attacker earlier this year.
Leeds United fell short in their pursuit of an instant return to the Premier League at the first time of asking as they lost in the play-off final last weekend.
Adam Armstrong’s first-half goal was enough to secure the win for Southampton at Wembley, which means that they will join Ipswich Town and Leicester City in the top-flight next term.
The Whites missed out on automatic promotion from the Championship and had to settle for the play-offs, which started well with a 4-0 aggregate win over Norwich City in the semi-finals.
Unfortunately, Daniel Farke’s men did not step up to the big occasion in the capital and the club must now prepare for another season in the second tier.
Their failure to earn promotion could see players move on to raise funds this summer and one player who could depart is winger Wilfried Gnonto.
However, the Whites could land a dream replacement for the Italian youngster by immediately moving to sign a reported transfer target, should the Leeds star move on ahead of next season.
Leeds United’s interest in Pro League star
Last month, GIVEMESPORT claimed that the Yorkshire-based outfit are one of a number of teams interested in signing Sint-Truidense VV winger Jarne Steuckers this summer.
The report stated that West Ham United are considering a swoop to land the young forward, whilst Southampton and Leeds have also sent scouts to watch him in action this season.
It revealed that the two Championship clubs, at the time, were keeping tabs on the talented gem’s performances in Belgium, ahead of a possible deal to sign him in the next transfer window.
However, GIVEMESPORT did not state how much the Pro League side are lookin
Leeds could be in the market to land a right winger, which is where Steuckers operates, as Calcio Mercato claims that Gnonto is now eyeing up an exit from Elland Road this summer.
The Italian outlet reports that the 20-year-old attacker would like to return to Italy to play in the Serie A, after Milan and Fiorentina had shown interest in him last summer.
It also reveals that the winger’s price tag was previously set at €20m (£17m) – warding off interest from teams in Italy – and that it remains to be seen whether or not his price has decreased due to Leeds’ failure to earn promotion to the Premier League.
Wilfried Gnonto’s Championship excellence for Leeds
It would be a blow for Farke and his team to lose Gnonto as the young whiz emerged as a key performer on the pitch during the second half of the Championship campaign.
The young dynamo only started 19 of his 36 appearances in the division but managed to showcase his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Whites.
No player overperformed against their xG (Expected Goals) tally by more than the Italian star, as he scored eight goals from an xG of 5.52 – an overperformance of +2.48.
Gnonto also ranked within the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Championship for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.44), which shows that he was one of the most prolific players in his position at scoring from open play.
However, the Leeds ace ranked within the bottom 43% for assists per 90 (0.11) and only the top 43% for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.15), which shows that the ex-Zurich whiz did not excel as much when it came to creating for his teammates.
| 23/24 Championship | Wilfried Gnonto |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 36 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Big chances created | 5 |
| Key passes per game | 0.6 |
Stats via Sofascore
Why Jarne Steuckers would be a dream replacementThe German head coach could land a dream replacement for the Italian whiz, should his wish of a move to the Serie A come true this summer, by winning the race to sign Steuckers. Interest from West Ham and Southampton could make it a difficult deal to complete, given that they can offer Premier League football to the 22-year-old star, but Leeds could get ahead of their competitors by making a quick move for him, to show him that they are desperate to make him a key player at Elland Road.  |
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As you can see in the table above, Gnonto made less than one key pass per game in the Championship for the Whites this season, with just two assists in 36 matches.
This shows that the Milan and Fiorentina target really got on the ball to split open the opposition’s defence with passes and crosses, as his main focus was seemingly on scoring.
Overall, the right-footed gem provided excellent quality as a goalscorer and finisher for Farke but did not shine as a creator and Leeds could improve their squad by finding a player in that position who can excel as both a scorer and a creator of goals on the right flank.
His form over the last two seasons suggests that the potential is there for him to be a fantastic replacement and possible upgrade on Gnonto this summer, if he can adapt to Championship football.
Whilst on loan with MVV Maastricht in the Dutch second tier during the 2022/23 campaign, Steuckers racked up a staggering nine goals, nine assists, and 21 ‘big chances’ created in 36 appearances.
That was a significantly better return than what Gnonto managed in the English second division, with one more goal, seven more assists, and a whopping 16 more ‘big chances’ created.
| 23/24 season | Jarne Steuckers (Pro League) | Wilfried Gnonto (Championship) |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 35 | 36 |
| Goals | 6 | 8 |
| Assists | 7 | 2 |
| xA | 8.18 | 3.81 |
| Big chances created | 14 | 5 |
| Key passes per game | 2.7 | 0.6 |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
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