Leeds United agree terms with Wilfried Gnonto in surprise Elland Road twist
Wilfried Gnonto has now agreed terms in principle of a new contract at Leeds United in a surprise turn of events, according to HITC.
The website reported [23 January] that the young star is set to stay at Elland Road, with a contract agreed despite rumours that Gnonto was nearing a January exit.
Keeping the 20-year-old at Leeds is said to be a “big coup” for Daniel Farke, with Everton interested in signing the winger last summer and West Ham keeping tabs on him this month.
A smart deal
It has been a strange situation for the Leeds hierarchy and Farke to deal with. A young, hungry and emotional player, such as Gnonto, can be hard to keep control of.
He wanted to force a move away from Leeds after the club’s relegation from the Premier League last season. However, having now agreed to more years with the Whites, the club have secured a talent for the future.
Even without being able to get a shoo-in ahead of Dan James or Crysencio Summerville right now, Gnonto offers an extremely dangerous option from the bench, despite only recording one goal and one assist in the Championship so far.
He has made 21 appearances in all competitions this season. However, the majority of these have come as a substitute. The current campaign has been a difficult change for the winger, having experienced a stellar breakout season in the Premier League.
But as Leeds continue to aim for Premier League promotion, Gnonto will be able to play his part in achieving that goal. The idea of playing football in the top division again could spur him on to perform better in white.
It could still be the case that the Italy international grows frustrated at Elland Road amid a lack of game time. But with a new contract signed, Leeds are more likely to get a bigger fee for the player if they do decide to sell him.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay reports that a new agreement at Elland Road is now close.
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