Journo says Willy Gnonto must get head around Leeds United situation after being ‘badly advised’
Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto was “badly advised” during the summer transfer window amid exit speculation, according to journalist Dean Jones.
Over the course of the summer, the 19-year-old Italy international was the centre of an ongoing transfer saga at Elland Road, which included him handing in a transfer request and refusing to play (Sky Sports, 18 August).
Sean Dyche’s Everton were credited with a longstanding interest in the forward but a move never materialised and Gnonto has now been reintegrated into the first-team picture in West Yorkshire.
While it wasn’t a good look for the player, Jones believes that he now has no choice but to just get on with things and backed him to perform this season.
“You have got players like Gnonto who haven’t got a move away and are having to now knuckle down and show that they’ve got what it takes. At the end of the day, Gnonto didn’t have the same clause to get out like Luis Sinisterra did, so there’s not much you can do about that from a personal point of view, ” Jones told GIVEMESPORT (5 September).
“I think Gnonto is the sort of player that will quickly have to get his head around this. He’s still young. I think, personally, he’s been badly advised at times during the transfer window. But he is an unbelievable talent, and we’ll see some magic moments from him still.”
Moving forward
It is clear that the relationship between the player and the Leeds faithful was damaged by his antics. A banner was displayed during the club’s draw with West Brom that showed Gnonto crying due to his reluctance to play in the Championship. Nonetheless, both parties must now put it behind them and get on the same page.
Daniel Farke’s men have not made the start to the season they would have liked and if they are going to climb up the table they will need Gnonto to perform and replicate some of his displays from last season. That will be difficult to do if he does not feel fully supported and, despite how difficult it might be, fans will now need to get behind the winger.
Whatever the future holds for him remains to be seen, and he certainly won’t be most people’s favourite player, but in football, the club comes first, and everyone must now pull together to push Leeds forward.
In other Leeds United news, a player who did secure an exit away this summer has received some tough criticism.