Willy Gnonto contract details emerge as Leeds United agreement close at Elland Road
Willy Gnonto’s new Leeds United contract is set to extend his stay with the club by one extra season, according to TEAMtalk.
The outlet reported on their website on 23 January that the new Elland Road deal which he Italian is close to agreeing will run to 2028, while handing him a “significant pay rise”.
Gnonto, 20, had been tipped for a January transfer exit after having pushed to leave for Everton in the summer window, with West Ham [Sports Lens, 8 January] and Lazio [Corriere dello Sport, 22 January] among the sides linked.
But the Whites were apparently never open to offers this month and had always been hoping to tie the winger to a new deal if he was willing, which it appears he is very much is.
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It sounds like the contract is more beneficial to Gnonto than it is to Leeds United since they already had him signed to terms up to 2027.
But it is a sign that the club value the Italy international despite the stand-off in the summer and his relative lack of involvement under Daniel Farke this season.
That a deal is close shows that he is also still committed in the context of those factors, so should mean he is in the right mindset to contribute to the season when called upon.
Few could argue that Crysencio Summerville and Dan James haven’t been excellent in the Championship this year, so while Farke could certainly develop a habit of rotating his squad slightly more in general it is impossible to criticise the manager for focusing heavily on the two regular starters out wide.
The better the contract and the longer it has to run for Gnonto should mean, in theory, that if the relationship were to change at some point in the future it would cost more for an interested club to buy him.
But the Whites were famously able to reject all advances for him in the summer despite teammates departing in all directions thanks to relegation release clauses, so there shouldn’t be too much risk of him leaving against their will.
But all indications are that he isn’t minded to do so anyway, so he could still prove to be a crucial factor in the promotion push this year.
In other Leeds United news, another full-back has now been mooted for a possible exit before the transfer deadline.
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