Wilfried Gnonto, a Leeds United winger, has been named the best player in the Championship at Elland Road.
HIGHLIGHTS
- According to journalist Dean Jones, Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto can be the best player in the Championship “on his day”.
- Gnonto’s season at Elland Road got off to a rocky start as he attempted to force a return to the Premier League with Everton.
- Jones feels that once Gnonto returns to form, he will become a regular starter for Leeds and might play a key role in the club’s promotion from the Championship.
Leeds United have “something special up their sleeve” in prodigy Wilfired Gnonto, according to journalist Dean Jones, who believes the winger will return to Elland Road as a regular.
Head coach Daniel Farke has been charged with ensuring the Whites’ rapid return to the Premier League following their relegation on the final day of the 2022/23 season.
Leeds were involved in the promotion race during the 2023/24 season and are currently in the play-offs, hoping to close the gap on the league’s top two positions. Gnonto has had a difficult season at Elland Road, but he may have been sparked into life by his recent performance in an FA Cup Fourth Round replay against Plymouth Argyle.
Gnonto’s tough season in Leeds
Gnonto’s season did not start well after he attempted to push a transfer out of Leeds and return to the Premier League. The Whites set a £25 million price tag on the 20-year-old in August 2023, amid top-tier interest from Everton.
Later that month, Gnonto requested a transfer to Everton, refusing to play in a Carabao Cup match against Shrewsbury Town as well as a Championship doubleheader against Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion. The Italy international was obliged to apologise for his actions and promised to return to training by the end of the month after Everton rejected four proposals for his services.
Gnonto could have used his frustration to fuel his second-tier performances, but it hasn’t quite worked out that way. He has not been the regular he anticipated to be under Farke, and has spent much of the season on the bench, shadowed by Crysencio Summerville.
Interestingly, transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano just informed GIVEMESPORT (30th January) that Gnonto is nearing an agreement on a new contract with Leeds. The former FC Zurich player was not pursued during the 2024 winter transfer window, but Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that he should ‘appeal’ to West Ham United. He aspires to reclaim his place in the squad and lead the club to promotion.
On February 6th, Gnonto scored the first goal in a 4-1 FA Cup Fourth Round replay loss to Plymouth Argyle, which he hopes will be the start of a run of form that will propel him to the top of the second tier.
Dean Jones says Gnonto will ‘become a regular starter again’. at Leeds.
Jones believes Gnonto can return to being a regular starter, calling him the best player in the Championship when at his peak. The journalist thinks Leeds has “something special up their sleeve” in Italian. Jones told GiveMeSport:
“Gnonto will be a regular starter again. He had a bit of a rollercoaster season. But once he smiles again, we will see his best side. Leeds supporters are trying to be patient with this guy. They attempted to give him a chance. They would have doubted his allegiance to them at times, as well as his desire to remain there. But, in Gnonto’s defense, I believe he is only trying to ensure that he is on the right career route for him.
“He isn’t getting nearly enough playing time this season to meet his expectations. But on his day, he’s perhaps the best player in this division. So Leeds have something special up their sleeve to utilize in these last months.”
According to Crysencio Summerville, Leeds plan to enhance their team before the end of the 2024 winter transfer window to secure promotion to the Premier League. Burnley and Wales right-back Connor Roberts has joined on loan until the end of the 2023/24 season, after helping the Clarets win the Championship last season.
Summerville, the team’s star player, may have left. Arne Slot, Feyenoord’s manager, told Voetbal Zone (via LeedsLive) that he would have wanted to have had the Dutchman in his squad. However, the 22-year-old proved too expensive and might play Premier League football next season, whether with Leeds or elsewhere.
Leeds return to Championship play on February 10th, hosting rivals Rotherham United in a Yorkshire derby. Farke then heads his team to Wales to face Swansea City on February 13th. They return to Plymouth Argyle on the 17th, seeking to replicate this week’s FA Cup victory in the league.
