By George Overhill

24th May, 2023 | 8:10pm

Leeds United transfer news: Willy Gnonto may follow Crysencio Summerville to Elland Road exit, agents surely at work - Graham Smyth

Willy Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville could both leave Leeds United this summer with their agents likely already looking for exit deals, according to Graham Smyth.

The Whites need help via other results to stand a chance of avoiding relegation on the final day of the season and are likely to see an exodus of players from Elland Road if they do go down.

Italian international Gnonto is one the club hope to cling on to whatever happens, but his close friendship with his Dutch teammate might mean that one moving on could help push the other to seek a transfer as well suggests Smyth.

In answer to a question on who the club could keep if relegated in his Yorkshire Evening Post Q&A he said: “Leeds say that in the event of relegation they will try their damndest to keep the likes of Tyler Adams, Willy Gnonto and Max Wober…

“For Gnonto, if his agent is not sounding out Serie A clubs I would be astounded. He’s Premier League ready, so he’s more than good enough for one of the other European top flights.

“The conversation there might need to guarantee game time and a high degree of importance at the club, as a player who could tear the second tier apart. Let’s see, on that one.

“His best mate Crysencio Summerville would be a very good option in the Championship and yet I’d also expect his agent to be casting around to see if there’s a better deal to be had at a higher level. If Summerville was to go, would Gnonto want to also? They are joined at the hip after all.”

Struggle

Both the attackers would be prime candidates to lead the charge if Leeds United were to make an immediate run at getting back to the Premier League, but convincing them to be a part of it is surely going to be difficult.

Perhaps if Gnonto had been the star man all season he could be sold on a year in the second tier given he has time on his side to at least have a crack at a return to the top flight.

But after Javi Gracia, and to a lesser extent Sam Allardyce, sidelined him he won’t want to risk the possibility of a similarly surprising decision being made by whoever the next manager in is in the Championship, when he has already been linked to some of the biggest teams in the country.

Summerville was close to leaving under Marcelo Bielsa so if there was interest then there is bound to be more so after he has proven to be a decent Premier League option at times.

Whether one going would lead to the other following suit is probably unlikely unless they were going to the same club, but it would still be little surprise if offers came in for the pair which both they and the Whites decided were too good to turn down.

At 19 and 21 they would probably still benefit from playing every week in the Championship, but if the club can keep hold of either then it isn’t likely to last long if an immediate return to the top flight isn’t secured.

In other Leeds United news, a potential extra fee has emerged in one player’s contract amid a baffling ongoing situation.