Leeds: Orta working on Gnonto deal

Leeds United are fascinated with a deal to carry Wilfried Gnonto to Elland Highway this summer season.

What’s the speak?

That’s based on Gianluca Di Marzio, with the Sky Sport Italia journalist revealing in a latest publish on Twitter that Leeds are at present engaged on a deal for the FC Zurich centre-forward – with a determine within the area of €5m (£4.2m) quoted for the 18-year-old.

In his tweet, the switch insider stated: “LUFC are working to signal Wilfried Gnonto from FC Zurich for a €4/5m switch price.”

This declare is backed up by a report by Gazzetta dello Sport (through Sport Witness), who additionally counsel that Victor Orta is in discussions with the Swiss facet relating to a transfer for the Italy worldwide – though the Italian publication state that the Tremendous League facet are demanding a determine nearer to €10m (£8.5m) as a way to half with the teen this summer season.

Nonetheless, Gazzetta do go on to assert that an settlement with Gnonto himself has all however been reached, with it showing that, so long as Leeds can come to an settlement with Zurich over a price, {the teenager}’s swap to Elland Highway might be accomplished within the subsequent few days.

“Like few others”

With it being properly documented that Orta is out there so as to add a brand new centre-forward to Jesse Marsch’s attacking choices this summer season, it’s not tough to see why the Spaniard can be fascinated with a deal to carry Gnonto to LS11 previous to September’s switch deadline.

Certainly, the £9m-rated expertise proved simply how thrilling an attacking prospect he’s over his 33 Tremendous League appearances – solely 9 of which got here as begins – final season, scoring eight targets, registering three assists and creating 4 massive probabilities for his teammates, along with taking a mean of 1.4 pictures, making 0.8 key passes and finishing 0.9 dribbles per recreation.

The four-cap worldwide – who can play wherever across the front four – additionally impressed over his three appearances within the Swiss Cup final day trip, including an additional two targets and two assists to his haul – taking his complete to 10 targets and 5 assists over 35 fixtures in 2021/22, statistics that only a few youngsters in world soccer can replicate at senior degree.

These returns have seen the 18-year-old earn a major quantity of reward, none extra so than from Italy supervisor Roberto Mancini, who said of Gnonto after a 1-1 draw with Germany again in June: “He’s so fast and may do all the pieces. He’s a ahead with a high quality that we didn’t have earlier than and he’ll enhance loads.”

The 57-year-old as soon as once more lavished reward on the striker forward of the Azzurri’s assembly with Hungary within the Nations League the identical month, stating: “For his age he is aware of play soccer like few others and he’s very fast. If he develops with out an excessive amount of stress, he can present us what high quality he has.”

As such, whereas Gnonto might not are available and problem Patrick Bamford for his beginning spot in Marsch’s XI right away, contemplating his spectacular positional versatility, his evident pace and his clear eye for aim, it could certainly seem as if {the teenager} is a expertise like only a few others at his age – one thing that must be an extremely thrilling prospect for the Elland Highway devoted.