Leeds United youngster Wilfried Gnonto could remain at Elland Road beyond this summer, according to a fresh update regarding his future.
Who wants to sign Wilfried Gnonto?
The future of the 19-year-old has been a big talking point at the club in recent months, with doubts emerging over his future from the moment the Whites were relegated from the Premier League back in May.
Leeds heading to the Championship for the first time in three years was concerning for so many reasons, not least the fact that it would likely lead to a number of key players moving on and wanting to stay in the top flight, which is understandable.
Gnonto is clearly one of the individuals who falls into that bracket, having enjoyed an impressive first season at Elland Road, scoring and assisting four times apiece, in all competitions. There has been plenty of interest in him from elsewhere, with Everton arguably standing out as the favourites to snap him up, and some supporters may be resigned to the idea of him moving on in the coming weeks.
A new update regarding the situation is a positive one, however, and could give Leeds genuine hope over the Italian's next decision in his career in what would be a boost to Daniel Farke.
What's the latest on Wilfried Gnonto's Leeds future?
According to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook in the last 48 hours, there is now hope that Gnonto will stay at Leeds this summer, despite interest from various clubs:
"As this column has previously reported, Gnonto is high on Everton boss Sean Dyche’s list of summer targets.
"talkSPORT understands Gnonto, 19, and his advisers are not completely sold on the idea of a move to Goodison Park, and that the Italian could consider staying at Elland Road depending on what other offers he receives."
This is potentially huge news from a Leeds perspective, with the idea of Gnonto remaining at the club moving forward arguably as exciting as any new signing that comes in before the new Championship season gets underway next weekend.
While the young winger wasn't always perfect last season, in terms of consistency, he caught the eye as one of the Whites' most dangerous and exciting players, performing with fearlessness and also chipping in with the end product, impressing Gary Neville earlier this year.
At 19, Gnonto you'd expect may only get better and better, and not only would his decision to stay put be met with a huge amount of love from the fanbase, but his pedigree as a 12-time capped Italy international means he could impress in the Championship.
Leeds coach Michael Skubala has described the attacking maestro as a "special" footballer, while Roberto Mancini has hailed him as "devastating" in the past, too. It certainly isn't guaranteed that Gnonto will stay on, but spending one year in the second tier and helping his club get back to the promised land would be a great moment, and show how loyal he is, and by the looks of things, that appears to be a possibility.
