Wilfried Gnonto will end the summer empty-handed after suffering U21 European Championship heartbreak on Wednesday night. The Leeds United forward started for Italy U21s as they took on Norway in their final group game in Cluj.
Italy needed to avoid defeat in order to progress to the next stage of the tournament but that’s something they failed to do, losing 1-0 thanks to a goal from Salernitana forward Erik Botheim. As such, Switzerland claimed the last qualification spot in Group D on head-to-head goals scored, progressing to the knockout stages with France.
After a long summer of representing Italy’s senior side in the Nations League before linking up with the U21 outfit, Gnonto will enjoy a small break before he is expected back at Thorp Arch to begin pre-season training with Leeds' other internationals on July 10. However, with his agent due to sit down with Leeds upon his return to West Yorkshire to thrash out his next move, his early exit from the U21 Euros might just play into Leeds’ hands, who will be hoping to sort his future one way or the other sooner rather than later.
