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.
Gnonto has been linked to a host of clubs across the Premier League and the continent it seems increasingly unlikely that the teenager will be plying his trade in the Championship next season. Leeds will be keen to see him stay at the club but his future is well and truly up in the air at present.
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The same can be said for Crysencio Summerville, who was unable to prevent the Netherlands from being eliminated at the group stage, too. Like Italy, the Dutch were amongst the favourites to win the tournament, but they drew all three of their games and that wasn’t enough to progress ahead of Georgia and Portugal.
Summerville has been linked to a host of clubs, including Everton, Feyenoord and Borussia Dortmund and his early exit from the Euros might just allow him to prevent talk of his future dragging on. There have been suggestions that Leeds would be open to offers for Summerville, who enjoyed a fine breakthrough season last time around, and the club will want answers on his intentions sooner rather than later.
A return to Thorp Arch in a week and a half might just bring those answers where both men are concerned and for Leeds’ new head coach, who is still to be appointed, it will give him a clearer picture of the squad he has to work with as he prepares for the season opener against Cardiff City. Kristoffer Klaesson and Leo Hjelde, who were involved with Norway, will also be returning to Thorp Arch shortly after finishing bottom of Group D.
It means of Leeds’ six representatives at the tournament, only two remain involved with Charlie Cresswell and Illan Meslier both harbouring hopes of winning the prestigious competition. Cresswell got his first run out on Wednesday night as Lee Carsley made changes for their final clash against Germany, having already qualified.
Cameron Archer and Harvey Elliott got the goals, but Cresswell played the full 90 minutes for the Three Lions, helping them to keep a clean sheet in the process as they won 2-0. Meslier, on the other hand, hasn’t seen a minute of action yet after finding himself behind Lucas Chevalier in the goalkeeper pecking order.
