Leeds United braced for Wilfried Gnonto bid as player sale changes transfer landscape
Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto could be targeted by Everton after they completed a £50million sale, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.
YEP reporter Joe Donnohue wrote on 24 July that after Everton sold midfielder Amadou Onana to Aston Villa, the Toffees could use the £50m fee to fund an approach for Gnonto having missed out on the Italian last summer.
Everton’s interest in the Whites’ Italy international is long-standing having pursued him last summer, though the YEP states that Sean Dyche’s side are yet to officially table a bid for Gnonto this time around [Caught Offside, 18 July].
However, with Onana’s sale potentially transforming the club’s transfer landscape despite the collapse of Dan Friedkin’s attempted takeover, Everton could now have the financial muscle to test the waters.
Wilfried Gnonto could leave Leeds United if transfer price is right
Should the £50m sale of Onana free up the finances for Everton to submit a bid for Gnonto, the ball could still be in United’s court knowing that the Premier League side have money in the bank.
Donnohue argued a similar situation was playing out for the Whites with Sheffield United after the £40m sale of Archie Gray to Tottenham [18 July], though Daniel Farke eventually got his man in Jayden Bogle.
While it remains to be seen what United’s minimum asking price would be for Gnonto, bids in the region of £25m would surely be enough to turn both the club and the player’s heads towards a transfer.
Carlton Palmer suggested such an amount would be “good business” from the Peacocks’ point of view [23 July], but there are doubts over whether Everton would want to spend half of Onana’s fee on the 20-year-old.
With neither club necessarily in financial strife but both having a keen eye on profit and sustainability guidelines, Farke will want to ensure that if the club do sell Gnonto this summer, his value is maximised.
In other Leeds news, the latest boardroom developments at Elland Road have been ratified by Companies House.
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