Leeds United could be busy before the transfer deadline, but Fabrizio Romano has shared the Whites’ current off-field “priority”.
Leeds transfer rumours
The 49ers Enterprises and Daniel Farke are yet to make their mark in the January transfer window, with just over 24 hours to go until the deadline.
Right now, the attention is on open players who are departing Elland Road; Leo Hjelde’s departure for Sunderland is the most recent example. Along with Djed Spence, whose Spurs season-long loan was terminated, Luke Ayling and Darko Gyabi have also finalised their loan departures to Middlesbrough and Plymouth.
Leeds is consequently lacking in defence, particularly at full-back, as a number of players, including Ben Davies of Tottenham Hotspur, Ben Johnson of West Ham, Connor Roberts of Burnley, Chris Mepham of Bournemouth, and Joe Worrall of Nottingham Forest, are rumoured to be interested in moving to Yorkshire.
Everton’s Ben Godfrey is another in contention, with Leeds thought to be planning a new bid for the defender’s services. Alongside a potential late signing, Leeds have also been working on new contracts. Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph have already extended their stay, with attention now turning to Wilfried Gnonto.
Wilfried Gnonto contract update
Phil Hay claimed last week that a new deal at Elland Road for Gnonto was in the pipeline.
Romano now stated in an interview with GiveMeSport that securing a new contract for Gnonto is Leeds’ “priority,” adding that this would be “fantastic news.” According to the transfer specialist, everything is almost finalised, and the paperwork might even be finished “in the next hours or days.”
“Leeds will prioritise extending Gnonto’s contract. This is rapidly approaching and would be great news for Leeds. They are pressing for the contract to be signed within the next few hours or days and for the last few details to be settled as quickly as possible. Thus, this is their top concern.
Gnonto has only scored once in 21 second-tier games in the Championship, showing that he has had difficulty making an impact. He did, however, leave his mark in the Premier League during his first year with the team, sparking whispers of a transfer to Manchester City, Arsenal, or Chelsea.
Elland Road staff will therefore be aware of Gnonto’s abilities, so obtaining a new, long-term contract while also safeguarding the player’s value may be prudent decisions.
Of course, there was the transfer request saga involving the Italy international over the summer, which saw him missing from a number of games, where at the time, there was no release clause in his deal. That could be something that changes in his new contract, making this one to watch
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