Aston Villa have made contact to enquire about a summer deal to sign Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto, according to reports.
Is Wilfried Gnonto leaving Leeds?
The Whites’ left-sided winger only arrived at Elland Road from FC Zurich last summer and majorly impressed during his 28 appearances in his debut season, so after suffering relegation from the Premier League to the Championship, his future is currently up in the air.
The Italy international’s agent, Claudio Vigorelli, has revealed that his client will hold “talks” regarding his future in Yorkshire, and despite reporter Graham Smyth claiming that the club “hope to keep” him beyond the ongoing window, he has plenty of potential suitors waiting to snap him up should he depart.
The Mirror have credited Crystal Palace, Brighton, West Ham and Everton all with a strong interest in the 19-year-old, but it won’t come cheap to strike a deal considering that he still has four years remaining on his contract in LS11 meaning that his side won’t be forced to cash in.
The Daily Mail recently claimed that NSWE, Unai Emery and Monchi have approached Leicester City to discover the availability of Harvey Barnes, but with the Foxes looking to demand £35m for their prized asset, Gnonto could provide a much cheaper and younger alternative.
Are Aston Villa signing Gnonto?
According to Italian reports (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa have “asked for information” on Gnonto, though it’s not specified whether the player has been contacted directly or if it was Leeds. The Midlands outfit have “lined up” alongside Everton and Bundesliga club SC Freiburg to try and strike a deal and they are firmly “in the mix” to receive his signature.
The Villa Park side “appreciate” their target’s profile and it’s stated that he “will leave” Daniel Farke’s team, who have set a price tag of €25m (£21m).
Should NSWE submit a bid for Gnonto?
Aston Villa have faced Leeds on multiple occasions and will know exactly what Gnonto is capable of having come up against him during his debut campaign in the top-flight, and having been dubbed a “pocket rocket” by football pundit Tam McManus, NSWE should certainly consider testing the waters for the winger.
Sponsored by Puma, the teenager racked up six goal contributions (four assists and two goals) in 24 Premier League outings last season whilst recording a total of 50 shot-creating actions over the course of the campaign which was the fourth-highest total throughout his squad, as per FBRef.
The Verbania native is also a versatile operator having been deployed in seven various positions over the grass since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, so he’d be a fantastic option for the boss to have at his disposal should any unexpected injuries occur.
Having dropped down to the Championship, Gnonto is likely to want to complete a move either back to the top-flight or to a competitve league overseas rather than remaining in the second tier, so this switch could be of appeal to him, therefore the board should capitalise on this by trying to convince him of the project at Villa Park.
