Sky Sports pundit tells wantaway Leeds United ace Willy Gnonto to ‘get your head down’ amid written transfer request report
Jobi McAnuff has urged Willy Gnonto to get his head down and focus on playing rather than push for a move away from Leeds United.
Gnonto has sat out Leeds’ past three games amid ongoing interest from Everton and has now handed in a formal transfer request [David Ornstein, 18 August].
Speaking as part of Sky Sports’ coverage of Leeds’ 1-1 Championship draw with West Brom on Friday [18 August], McAnuff told the Italy international to reconsider his stance.
“I think we’ve all probably been in similar [situations] where there’s interest from another football club, maybe Premier League, and he’s sitting there in the Championship and he feels it’s his only way to force through a move,” McAnuff said.
“For me, it’s not the right way to do it. You get your head down. He was one of the only shining lights last year in what was a difficult season, and I think Leeds fans felt he could really help with that push to get them back in [the Premier League].
“I feel he’s been badly advised. He’s a young boy – we do have to remember that. For me it would have been to his benefit to get his head down, do his talking on the football pitch, then if someone comes in with an offer that Leeds can’t refuse, you get your move.”
A messy situation
It was clear after Leeds’ draw with West Brom that manager Daniel Farke is sick of being asked about Gnonto’s future.
Incredibly, the German was not asked a single question about the game in his pre-match news conference earlier in the week, with the futures of Willy Gnonto, Tyler Adams, Luis Sinisterra and, to a lesser extent, Helder Costa dominating proceedings.
As far as Leeds’ stance goes, they stated last week that Gnonto is not for sale this summer, regardless of what offer comes in for the 19-year-old.
The Whites seem true to their word as Everton have made a fairly decent offer of £25million, albeit with some of that made up of add-ons [Sky Sports], which was knocked back.
With Gnonto now handing in a transfer request, a messy situation has got even messier as we approach the 11pm deadline on 1 September.
At this point, it is a case of whether United decide to cut their losses and sell an unsettled player, or make a point by refusing to budge and making him – in the words of McAnuff – get his head down and show his worth on the field.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has said the Whites are happy to offload a player that nobody at the club is bothered about.