Exits are going to ravage Leeds United’s squad this summer, that much is clear, but Elland Road’s hierarchy will know not everyone can go. There needs to remain some nucleus or backbone from last season’s unit to prop up this transfer window’s new arrivals.
The likes of Illan Meslier, Junior Firpo, Robin Koch, Marc Roca, Rodrigo and Luis Sinisterra are expected to find straightforward routes out of the club this summer. There will be more who fall into the same category: interested in leaving with willing buyers waiting and Leeds open to selling.
Tyler Adams and Jack Harrison stand out as first-team regulars Leeds would like to keep in the building for the coming promotion tilt. However, their own personal ambitions coupled with the weight of lucrative interest surely make it almost impossible for the Whites to retain them in the Championship.
Wilfried Gnonto is a very intriguing case. United would be keen to keep the 19-year-old through this summer and into the Championship. Four goals and four assists from his 28 appearances only tell half of his story.
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Ultimately, in a desperate campaign for virtually every player in the squad, Gnonto was one of the few players to turn heads for the right reasons and make a material impact in games. The teenager’s speed, dribbling, technique, power, eye for goal and movement made him a thorn in many opponents’ sides.
At the height of his form, that night at Old Trafford, he was widely regarded as one of the bargains of the season. From an emergency deadline-day option in September, Gnonto had become one of the first names on the Leeds teamsheet.
Gnonto was the name all supporters clamoured for through the darkest days of the 2023 run-in. The Italian and Rodrigo were generally regarded as the only two players who could make a difference in the final third for Leeds.
And yet Javi Gracia declined to pick him. Without ever giving a satisfactory explanation for why, Gracia would start Gnonto in just four of the 11 games he was available to the Spaniard.
The forward’s season never really recovered. Cameos and second-half introductions took the sting out of his tail, which is quite understandable for young players who can be prone to inconsistency.
From the highs of his bench impacts against Liverpool and Bournemouth to the goals against West Ham United, Cardiff City and Manchester United, Gnonto would falter through the spring. Could that yet play into United’s bargaining position this summer, though?
At 19, with 14 Premier League starts behind him, two goals, four assists and a poor, low-key finish to the campaign, what would his suitors be willing to pay? When you throw in FC Zurich president Ancillo Canepa’s claim of a substantial sell-on fee, you can start to paint a picture of what it might take to get Gnonto out of Leeds.
The player’s wishes, as always, are key to all of this. If Gnonto makes it clear he wants to leave Elland Road, history tells us the player traditionally gets their way. In that case, it would be critical for Leeds to get the best price possible or perhaps arrange a season-long loan deal.
However, there are another four years on Gnonto’s contract and his wages, as a youngster arriving from Switzerland, will not be too difficult for Leeds to carry in the second tier. The Whites do not have to blink if they don’t want to and, ultimately, is anyone going to bid the kind of money required to get the Italian out based on his small pool of 22/23 appearances?
If he wants to stay and rip up the second tier as everyone expects he has the ability to, then United should be in a position to knock back the bids that come in, if any do. Perhaps this topic is worth revisiting after Italy’s European Under-21 Championship run has come to an end.
