Leeds United are not out of the water yet when it comes to keeping Wilfried Gnonto at the club.
Gnonto was the subject of a £23 million offer from Everton earlier this summer and if last year’s saga is anything to go by, it is unlikely to be the last bid they receive.
The 20-year-old looks set to head into the new season with even more prominence under Daniel Farke than last year following the exit of his best friend Crysencio Summerville.
The majority of Gnonto‘s best performances at Leeds have come off the left but due to the form of Summerville, he was unable to play that position at all last term.
That could well hand Gnonto the incentive to stay at Elland Road but ultimately, the lure of Premier League football is often too much to turn down.
Graeme Bailey issues 50/50 update on Gnonto’s Leeds future
This time 12 months ago, Gnonto was doing everything he could to push through a move to Merseyside.
On top of refusing to play in three matches, Gnonto also handed in a transfer request before eventually apologising to the club once it became clear he would not be sold.
Gnonto has since changed his agent after last summer’s antics and though he is reportedly keen on joining Everton, he is not expected to push for a move.
And speaking exclusively to LeedsUnited.News, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has shared a new update on the state of play regarding Gnonto in the final three weeks of the window.
Bailey says Gnonto’s future is highly likely to depend on how he behaves behind-the-scenes, and if he does stay, it may not be long before he signs a new deal.
He said: “A lot will depend on the player. With him, let’s see if he agitates over the next few weeks. I think he’s going to play an increasingly important part for Leeds.
“He could very well stay and sign his new deal very quickly, or he could leave. It is one of them. He either leaves this month or stays and signs his new deal. I think he might stay.
How Gnonto has been in training at Leeds
It is said that Gnonto is showing no signs of a repeat of last summer’s saga, with plenty of application on the training field.
Gnonto looked sharp in last weekend’s friendly win over Valencia, and has also been a regular during Leeds’ social media pre-season content.
With all that said, Leeds should not even consider selling unless they receive an offer which is simply too good to turn down.
Anything above £25 million would be good business, but it also has to be with payment terms that favour Leeds.
