Keeping hold one player in particular may prove pivotal to Leeds’ ambitions of a Premier League return at the first time of asking
Make no mistake about it, Leeds United are gearing up towards an inevitable Elland Road exodus in the aftermath of their return to the Championship, with a whole host of high-profile footballers signed up for a promising project that ultimately failed to bear fruit.
When you look through some of the big names throughout Leeds’ squad- 28-time Spain international Rodrigo, USA captain Tyler Adams and former Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca, to name a few- it seems inconceivable that they enlisted in West Yorkshire with even the slightest thought of relegation from the Premier League
Unsurprisingly, all three are, among others, poised to seek pastures new as part of a significant squad upheaval this summer, with a season in the second-tier rightly undesirable on the resumes of international stars with credentials at Europe’s most illustrious clubs.
There is a feeling of inevitability attached to the futures of Rodrigo, Adams and Roca- indeed, the only remaining question is where the trio will end up next, with the first two certainly having provided good accounts of themselves amid Leeds’ struggles that can ensure that they can depart with their heads held high.
They were rare illustrations of positivity in an otherwise bleak campaign up at Leeds, though, with the Whites seemingly now resigned to losing the duo in the near future, they must plot for life without.
As such, they must plot to maintain the services of another in-demand player who acted as a premium beacon of light, albeit in fits and starts, but a beacon of light nonetheless, and one that could shine brighter beyond belief within the Championship.
That player is Wilfried Gnonto.
What teams are interested in Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto?
As per The Mirror, a host of Premier League clubs are locking horns in the race for Gnonto’s signature, with Crystal Palace, West Ham, Brighton and even Everton all being credited with interest as of late.
Elsewhere, Freiburg are said to be plotting a pursuit, of which they will be accompanied by Juventus and Inter Milan, with the Italian behemoths both seeking to draw Gnonto back to his homeland after a few years away from southern Europe.
Why must Leeds United try and keep Wilfried Gnonto despite the transfer interest?
Sure enough, Leeds are set to endure considerable difficulty in convincing Gnonto to stick it out for at least another season given the magnitude and calibre of his long list of admirers both domestically and overseas, and they would feel next to no shame if those lures prove decisive.
That said, there may well be an overwhelming aura of shame if they do not fight tooth and nail to retain the multi-faceted forward, who caught the eye with his courage, quality and unique footballing weaponry last term after arriving from Swiss side FC Zurich.
Few had anticipated such a swiftly-transitioned trajectory for the 19-year-old, with a spell of acclimatization within the club’s youth system seemingly on the agenda during his England initiation- but, as soon as he was licensed with an opportunity in the deep end, he most certainly swam.
In only Gnonto’s second match for Leeds, he invented the vital assist for Crysencio Summerville’s late winning strike in a 4-3 showdown at home to Bournemouth, in which he drove rampantly and deeply with the ball at his feet before distributing a decisive ball to the Dutch forward.
Those innate qualities have since gone on to be a staple of the Italian international’s arsenal.
Time and time again, the winger has injected fear into seasoned, experienced top-flight defenders with his remarkable speed and athleticism which serves to facilitate the progressive, productive and perplexing ball-carrying abilities that he possesses with equal measure.
Elegant yet powerful in his dribbling, Gnonto’s physical presence has also proved problematic for some of the most imposing opponents to nullify, too; while he stands at a mere 5’5, he is more than capable of holding the ball up and even holding off opposing players, then bringing them in and subsequently opening up space for his teammates.
The first genuine revelation of his talents came during an FA Cup third-round replay at home to Cardiff City, where, after scraping a last-grasp draw in South Wales following an initial two-goal defecit, Gnonto guided Leeds to a 5-2 destruction of the Bluebirds.
His stunning volley that bore shades of a prime Paolo Di Canio fired the hosts into the ascendancy after less than a minute on the clock and the tormentor-in-chief went on to score his second of the affair shortly before half-time, all the while continuing to inflict nightmares upon the Championship side throughout.
Such dazzling displays continued to be translated to the top-flight with a semi-consistency, which can be attributed to the unfathomable and, in hindsight, unjustified peripheral role that he later began to occupy in the team following Javi Gracia’s short and unsuccessful reign in the Leeds dugout, having replaced Jesse Marsch back in February.
This also played a factor in the goal involvements return that Gnonto harvested- just two strikes and four assists- but they do not even tell half the story.
Of course, the simplicity of the eye test unveils the best stage of them all, but FBRef does not do a bad job of illuminating his raw, yet devastating effectiveness amid mitigating circumstances, either.
On a per 90 minutes basis in comparison to positional compatriots in the Premier League, Gnonto tallied above 93% for fouls drawn (2.59), above 87% for both progressive carries (4.39) and attempted take-ons (5.12) and above 77% for carries into the final third (2.46), enforcing how proactive and, for opponents at least, problematic his on-pitch presence is, with the cocktail of a low centre of gravity, dangerous dribbling, productive carrying of possession and his menacing, distinctive physical framework quite simply making things happen with regularity.
It only takes a fleeting moment of imagination to envisage the havoc that he would erupt in the Championship, then- and Cardiff, who themselves travel back to Elland Road on the upcoming campaign’s opening weekend- will not require any possible reminder of just that.
If Leeds were able to tempt him into staying, it would most certainly send out a real statement of intent to their impending promotion rivals, many of whom do not possess players with talent even close to Gnonto’s.
And for the player himself, who knows; maybe, just maybe, he might well have a point to prove after being demoted to something of an outcast when Leeds required invention, nerve and endeavor in their attacking areas more than ever before.
Though it is hard to say for sure if they would have survived or not had Gnonto featured more often, it is undeniable that they would have stood a stronger chance.
Likewise, now, their promotion aspirations will stand a stronger chance if they can find a way to get him to stay.
