Chief Executive Angus Kinnear has revealed months of groundwork allowed Leeds United to accelerate a move for Wilfried Gnonto. Confirmation of Gnonto’s arrival came after the 11pm cut-off on deadline day after a chaotic 24 hours of transfer activity at Elland Road.
After a failed pursuit of PSV’s Cody Gakpo, Leeds thought they had agreed a deal for Marseille striker Bamba Dieng. However, he opted against a move to the Whites in favour of Ligue 1 side Nice, where he eventually failed a medical anyway.
That prompted Leeds into bringing forward plans to sign FC Zurich’s Gnonto, with a deal having been able to be completed quickly as the early legwork of the deal had already been done. Writing in his pre-Aston Villa programme notes, Kinnear explained some of the details behind his signing.
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He said: “It seems like an eternity since the transfer window closed but, we should still belatedly welcome Willy Gnonto, our ninth summer signing, to the club and wish him the best of luck for his Leeds United career. Willy is a player who, it was originally planned, would join us in one of the next two transfer windows.
“Victor and his team had spent several months tracking the player and meeting him and his family – part of our process to optimise the chances of a player fitting our requirements and being successful. Such groundwork made the decision to accelerate his move, albeit at the last moment, more compelling and straightforward.
“Willy, already Italy’s youngest ever international goalscorer, became only the third Italian player to make three international starts before the age of 19, playing his part in a busy international break with Leeds United being represented across the globe.”
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