Willy Gnonto: Clubs have leverage to sign Leeds United star in cut-price transfer as ‘unpredictable’ claim made
Lazio and Romo hope Willy Gnonto’s desire to quit Elland Road will lead to Leeds United reducing how much they want for him, according to LazioNews24.
The Italian news outlet reported on Thursday (2 November) that “British sources” say the Whites want between £21.8million and £24.4million for the “unpredictable” 19-year-old forward.
It is understood that neither of the Serie A rivals can afford what Leeds currently demand so they hope that they can negotiate the Yorkshire club down from those figures, using Gnonto’s willingness to move as leverage.
What’s happening with Willy Gnonto?
Gnonto has had quite a topsy-turvy 12 months.
After signing from FC Zurich on the summer transfer window’s deadline day last year, he was left out of the first team for quite a while by Jesse Marsch despite being a full Italy international.
He suddenly burst onto the scene in the winter though and has pretty much kept his spot in the Leeds senior squad since then.
However, relegation from the Premier League saw Gnonto’s future fall into doubt at Elland Road as he handed in a transfer request in order to move away from the now-Championship club.
Gnonto ended up staying and has since apologised for his behaviour in the summer. But since then, he’s had a number of injury issues, leading him to play just eight times in the Championship this season, starting six times.
Gnonto’s played in the last three games with Daniel Farke starting him against Stoke on 25 October.
However, Leeds lost that game and understandably, Gnonto was back on the bench against Huddersfield at the weekend when the Whites returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion.
Right now, the Italy international has dropped down the pecking order and while players like Crysencio Summerville and Dan James are performing as well as they are, there’s little hope for the ex-Zurich man to re-emerge in Farke’s first XI.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are in a solo pursuit of a new behind-the-scenes hire as a development emerges in November.