Leeds United transfer news: Willy Gnonto January exit ‘most high-profile’ mooted move
Willy Gnonto leaving Leeds United is the “most high-profile” transfer to “look out for” in January at Elland Road, according to Dean Jones.
Speaking to GiveMeSport on 29 October, the former Eurosport journalist said that the Whites “need the bulk of this squad to stick together” for the duration of the campaign with the club facing a “big task” to get back to the Premier League.
But after Gnonto, 19, tried to force through a move to Everton before the summer transfer deadline it is unclear whether he will again have an eye on leaving during the winter, but Jones says an “overhaul” midseason could derail the promotion bid.
Jones said: “I think they want to try and keep things as settled as they can going into the second half of the season. I mean, the Gnonto one is obviously going to be the most high-profile one to look out for.
“We all know how close he came to trying to leave the club and wanting to leave the club in the summer window. Quite how much Leeds have managed to convince him otherwise, I guess we’ll find out in January.
“But in terms of the other players that are key to this team, I think we’ll have to wait until this summer because Leeds need the bulk of this squad to stick together for now.
“They’ve got a big task on their hands to get out of the Championship and having an overhaul halfway through the season probably isn’t going to help.”
Situation has changed
After the summer Leeds United went through the Elland Road hierarchy are sure to prefer that nobody leaves in the January window.
Gnonto hasn’t had the impact that would have been expected based on his arrival into the team last season and the fight the Whites put up to keep him, but it is a long campaign and the chances of him being needed are high.
Injury and his own attempts to leave disrupted his season and in his place Crysencio Summerville has been outstanding in recent weeks.
Dan James has also surpassed the Italy international, while Georginio Rutter has shown the quality that convinced Victor Orta to spend a club-record £35.5million on him, albeit at completely the wrong time.
Therefore, with other options available, the Whites could arguably afford to let Gnonto leave if he makes another push rather than get into a stand-off again.
If they want to fund some incoming business and there is a taker who is willing to offer the £25m or more that Everton put on the table in the summer [The Athletic, 18 August] then it is certainly more possible than it was at that point.
However, given his close relationship with Summerville, it would arguably be more of a risk to potentially destabilise the in-form Dutchman by letting his good friend go, so any decision can’t be taken lightly.
In other Leeds United news, a BBC pundit has been left “massively surprised” by one Elland Road player who he believes is in a no-win situation.