Leeds United have confirmed that Wilfried Gnonto has signed a permanent transfer to the club. This came after a hectic deadline day that saw two transfers fall through, but the Yorkshire side finally secured a deal for a forward.
All About Leeds United’s New Italian International Player
Who is Wilfried Gnonto?
Wilfried Gnonto is an Italian forward that started his career at the San Siro, plying his trade and honing his craft at the Inter Milan academy. Seeking senior football, Gnonto took a move to Switzerland, where he played for Zurich. The striker was a fundamental part of earning his club their first league title in over a decade.
The youngster shows incredible promise, to the extent that he has already appeared for the Italian national team. With four appearances and one goal to his name at the age of 18, the forward shows a lot of potential for the future. He is the youngest ever player to score for Italy.
The Italian is unlikely to start for Leeds United immediately but could see minutes off the bench and develop in the coming years.
✍️ #LUFC is pleased to confirm the signing of Italian international Wilfried Gnonto from FC Zurich
— Leeds United (@LUFC) September 1, 2022
What Does the Deal Entail for Leeds United?
Leeds United have a five-year contract with the Italian international. This fits in with the club’s philosophy of buying young players with a lot of potential and signing them on relatively long deals for future resale value. Raphinha was the best example of this strategy, with the club’s acquisitions of Brenden Aaronson and Darko Gyabi following the same pattern.
Victor Orta has reportedly done an incredible job on the price of the player. Club insider Graham Smyth understands that the fee comes to under £4 million. This is an absolute bargain for a player with so much potential and already demonstrated ability. The comparative fees for the likes of Antony and Wesley Fofana show that the Whites have gotten incredible value from this deal.
Leeds are set to sign Willy Gnonto from FC Zurich! Deal almost done, just waiting for work permit then it will be the final signing. Here we go! 🚨🚨⚪️ #LUFC
Italian talent has agreed personal terms with Leeds. pic.twitter.com/yfOwykj3CW
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2022
