da supremo： Leeds United are determined to keep Italian forward Wilfried Gnonto at Elland Road this summer despite interest from Premier League sides according to Phil Hay.
da bet vitoria： The 19-year-old was one of the few bright sparks in an overall disappointing campaign for the club last time out.
How much did Gnonto cost?
The Italian was a real bargain buy for Leeds last summer.
The forward moved from Swiss side FC Zurich for a fee of just £3.8m on deadline day, with the club managing to pick up the player for a lot less than the £17m they were initially quoted by Zurich due to the player moving into the final year of his deal.
In his 28 appearances across all competitions for the Whites last season, the Italian international recorded four goals and four assists. He impressed many fans and pundits alike, with Gary Neville full of praise for the youngster after his bright display against Aston Villa in January, stating on Sky Sports: "To see someone so mature, so young is very unusual in that position, sometimes you see potential and talent but watching him so closely, his understanding of where to be, his choice of pass, when to run with it, his awareness of teammates, really good honestly."
The 19-year-old is also a full Italian international despite his young age, having made 11 appearances for the current European Championship holders and registering 3 goal contributions.
Following Leeds' relegation, a number of clubs have registered an interest in Gnonto, with Everton and Villa being two of the clubs reportedly exploring a move. According to The Daily Mail, the Toffees have seen a £15m offer rejected by the Whites, with the club desperate to keep hold of their young star.
Speaking on The Square Ball Podcast, Hay revealed that Leeds have the upper hand in negotiations, as Gnonto's contract doesn't contain a relegation release clause, unlike other stars: "Gnonto is due back this week and they’ve knocked back some interest from Everton in him and seem really intent on keeping Gnonto if they can. The advantage is that he doesn’t have a relegation release clause in his contract unlike just about everybody else in the squad."
Will Gnonto stay at Leeds this summer?
There is a good chance that the Italian will remain at Elland Road for next season.
As Hay stated, Gnonto is one of the Leeds players whose contract doesn't contain a relegation release clause, meaning that all the negotiating power lies in the club's hands, especially since up to this point the youngster hasn't tried to push for a move away from the Yorkshire club so far this window.
Question marks persist about whether a move to Everton is really the step-up the 19-year-old should be making after such a promising season last year, with the Toffees only surviving in the Premier League on the final day of the season. The forward would be in line for regular Premier League football at the Merseyside club due to the club's current striker dillemma, but it could only last a season should Sean Dyche's side fail to survive a relegation battle for the third season running.
A potential move that could tempt Gnonto however is a move to current Premier League champions Manchester City, or a move to Premier League runners-up Arsenal. A report from Calciomercarto stated that the two sides were interested in the young forward following a promising opening campaign. Gnonto most likely would be a rotation option for both sides, however, the quality of teammates and staff would be a massive increase for the player and could really push forward his development.
Leeds will be hopeful that the reported interest doesn't amount to anything, and their young star can play a big part in their push for a return to the top flight on English football.