Leeds United youngster Wilfried Gnonto is likely to leave if the Whites suffer relegation from the Premier League this season, a new report has claimed.
What's happened to Gnonto?
The young Italian had been one of the biggest positives to come out of a disappointing season at Elland Road, catching the eye with his performances under both Jesse Marsch and Michael Skubala, scoring five times in 20 appearances for the pair. He has rarely been a top option under Javi Gracia however, playing just 285 minutes with zero goals (Transfermarkt).
At 19, Gnonto looks like a huge prospect, already winning ten caps at senior level for a strong Italy outfit, and the hope is that his long-term future lies with the Whites. There is a clear stumbling block in that respect, however, with Gracia's side dangerously threatened by relegation to the Championship currently and the player seemingly not favoured by the manager.
Should Leeds go down, it is likely to lead to an exodus of big players at the club and it looks as though their brilliant teenager could be one of those who moves on.
Will Gnonto leave Leeds?
According to Football Insider, Gnonto is highly likely to depart for a fresh challenge if the Whites succumb to relegation, which would clearly be an enormous setback after only three seasons back in the Premier League.
It is stated that "top clubs from around Europe have taken notice following his breakthrough season in the Premier League", with a large of amount of interest coming from Serie A as his profile grows in his homeland. It is believed that the Elland Road outfit will demand a massive fee of over £40m.
Losing Gnonto so soon into his Whites career would be such a big blow for the club, not the least the supporters, who have barely had enough time to enjoy him yet. The attacker has been such a ray of sunshine in an otherwise poor campaign – Skubala hailed him as "special" – so often proving to be an unpredictable and lively presence out wide.
Leeds should be using this as an extra incentive to stay up this season, with that outcome the only chance they have of extending Gnonto's stay at Elland Road. Should that happen, there is still a chance that they could persuade him to remain at the club moving forward – on the plus side, the £20,000-a-week winger is contracted until the summer of 2027, so the Whites are at least in a strong bargaining position to demand big player for one of their most prized assets.