Willy Gnonto now wants to quit Leeds United on permanent basis as £21.6m news emerges
Willy Gnonto wants to leave permanently for Bundesliga side Freiburg with Leeds United demanding £21.6million, according to Bild.
The German newspaper reported (6 August) that Gnonto sees SC Freiburg as a good next step in his career following Leeds’ relegation, but the £21.6million asking price is too high for the German side.
Gnonto is a top target for Freiburg this summer, but unless Leeds reduce their value for the 19-year-old, the deal can’t go through.
Tight
If Gnonto sees Freiburg as a good next step in his career and genuinely seeks the move, he should pressure Leeds to sanction the deal.
Time is ticking if the Italian international wants to leave the Championship this summer, with the Whites kicking off their return to the second division on Sunday afternoon (6 August) at home to Cardiff City.
The fact that Gnonto wants to leave permanently, rather than a loan, shows that perhaps the Leeds project is not for him and he would prefer to challenge himself in a top-flight league rather than help his current club back to the Premier League.
Which, while disappointing for the Elland Road faithful to hear, is understandable considering Gnonto’s age, profile and potential. He has been in demand this summer, with Tuttomercato claiming that the likes of Everton are still showing interest.
But Leeds will want to get the most for Gnonto, and if the German side fail to meet their demands it’s likely they will have to go without their top target.
Daniel Farke will be anxious to learn Gnonto’s fate as if he was to remain at the club he would certainly be used frequently by the manager. However, while he remains in this transfer limbo, Farke will be frustrated as he would not know whether to plan his season around the Italian.
Freiburg could be a good step for Gnonto also, who is perhaps not quite ready for a move to an elite-level club but could certainly improve his game at last season’s fifth-place Bundesliga finishers.
Their fifth-place finish also means they qualify for the Europa League group stages, which will be another benefit for Gnonto who experienced European football with Zurich.
However, it looks more and more that Leeds will part ways with their star forward this summer.
In other Leeds United news, club captain Liam Cooper has revealed what he thinks still needs to be done to achieve promotion.