Wilfried Gnonto's arrival at Elland Road last summer and following success may well go down as Victor Orta's parting gift to Leeds United. A silver lining from an otherwise disappointing campaign.
The Whites' relegation to the Championship means a number of influential players will likely leave the club this summer and Gnonto is among that list. Serie A giants Juventus have been linked with a move for the rising star and have already made contact with the player's agent, according to recent reports.
Very few - including the Whites' recruitment staff - would have predicted a season quite like for Gnonto in his first year in English football. Leeds moved to sign the Italian international ahead of schedule and thrust him into the deep end after being impressed with his performances since moving from FC Zurich.
He would make 24 appearances in the Premier League, scoring twice and setting up another four, with a number of high profile clubs taking note. His departure from Elland Road would be a huge blow ahead of next season, with Gnonto likely to be the standout performer in the division.
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However, Leeds may be able to reinvest any transfer revenue from his sale, into a more experienced player, with similar ability. Macro Football notes three attacking midfielders who could fill the void left by Gnonto at Elland Road next season.
Real Valladolid playmaker Toni Villa has a 97.9 per cent similarity to Gnonto based on attacking and defensive metrics. The 28-year-old would cost a snippet of the price of the young Italian and could present the club with an ideal replacement.
Villa is valued at just €2.5 million heading into next season, having played 26 times in La Liga last year, scoring once and registering three assists. Fellow Valladolid midfielder Gonzalo Plata is also on the list of top five similar players with a percentage at 97.2 per cent.
Plata played 34 times in La Liga last season, scoring once but set up a further seven goals for the mid-table side. He was among the standout performers last season and his value is currently in the region of €5million according to transfermarkt.
The final player on the list is Angers winger Farad El Melali. The 26-year-old Algerian played a bit part role for the Ligue 1 basement side last year and is probably an unrealistic replacement, albeit the comparison website claims he has a 96.4 per cent similarity to Gnonto based on his metrics last term.
