Willy Gnonto finished at Leeds United as latest announcement hands Daniel Farke easy decision
Willy Gnonto may have no way back at Leeds United after their latest announcement on Saturday afternoon.
The winger has had a difficult season so far in the Premier League, as injuries have limited him to just three starts from the opening nine league games.
Gnonto’s long-term future at Leeds has also come under scrutiny in recent weeks, with a pair of Saudi Arabian sides understood to be preparing to launch a move for the 21-year-old in January.
Daniel Farke was facing a difficult decision regarding the Italian’s future, but he may have had it drastically simplified by what has just happened.
Willy Gnonto absent from Leeds matchday squad vs Brighton
Gnonto has been recovering from a calf injury at Leeds, and Farke had seemingly suggested in his pre-match press conference that he could be fit enough to return on the South Coast this weekend.
The German quickly ruled out any suggestion of the youngster being fit enough to start the game, but he did leave the door open for him to play a role in the matchday squad, and potentially even make a cameo appearance from the bench.
However, the boss has now announced his team for Saturday’s clash at the Amex Stadium, and it has become clear that the game has come too soon for Gnonto, who wasn’t even named among the substitutes.
Brenden Aaronson has been handed the start on the right wing, while there are also places on the bench for both Daniel James and Jack Harrison.
Willy Gnonto to be fall guy to address PSR concerns
PSR concerns emerged at Leeds during the summer transfer window, and with that in mind, it has recently been suggested that they could trim down their options to fill the right-wing position.
Aaronson, James, Harrison and Gnonto are all capable players at Premier League level, but there is little need for the West Yorkshire outfit to have all four of them competing for essentially just one starting spot.
A sale certainly makes sense for the Elland Road side in January, and Gnonto’s prolonged recovery period may have just pushed him forward as the prime candidate.
When you then consider the Saudi Arabian interest and the fact that he has the best years of his career ahead of him, it may be sensible for Leeds to try and bank a significant fee for him.
Farke would have had a difficult decision on his hands when it came to deciding which winger to cut from his group, but that call may have effectively just been made for him.
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