Joe Ellis

Fri 14 October 2022 15:10, UK

In the madness of transfer deadline day, Leeds United eventually found themselves a genuine star of the future in Italian Wilfrid Gnonto.

The 18-year-old already has six caps for the senior Italy national team and his goals for FC Zurich last season also makes him a European league winner with the Swiss side.

But so far at Leeds United, the teenager has been waiting on the sidelines to be given his first chance to shine in the Premier League, being an unused substitute against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.

Jesse Marsch has remained unwilling to give him any minutes yet but news that emerged on Friday (14 October) should see him start to change his mind as he gets backed into a selection corner at Elland Road.

The 2022 Golden Boy shortlist was announced with Gnonto proudly among the 20 young players thought to be the brightest talents in European football right now.

Alongside the Italian international on the list are the likes of Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Ansu Fati and Josko Gvardiol while Fabio Carvalho is the only other Premier League nominee at Liverpool.

There’s no sign of Joe Gelhardt on this list and that has to be the indicator to Marsch that Gnonto is on another level to the Englishman and needs to be catapulted up the pecking order.

Looking purely at his numbers, they aren’t anything special but his complete game is already at a very advanced level and that knack for scoring goals will come when he gets into a team with better players than those at Zurich.

A home game against the league leaders Arsenal is almost a free hit for Leeds on Sunday (16 October) so the boss should be trying out some players with a point to prove in games they are not necessarily expected to win.

In other Leeds United news, the Whites have now lept into the top 10 of these nationwide academy rankings after a profitable 12 months.