Leeds United transfer news: Another Willy Gnonto bid emerges as Everton push for deal
Leeds United have received a second bid from Everton for wantaway attacker Willy Gnonto this summer, according to The Times.
The Newspaper reported on their website on 10 August that the Toffees had both offers “turned down” after the first “valued the 19-year-old Italy international at £16 million”, although there is no indication of the second’s valuation and the Whites “remain insistent” they won’t sell.
An initial bid had been reported from Goodison Park [Mail, 16 July], with “mixed messages” from either club over that development, but it now appears that a second has since followed.
Gnonto reportedly asked not to play in the Wednesday night Carabao Cup tie against Shrewsbury and wants to leave the club this summer.
Cash on the table
It looks like Leeds United are prepared to play hardball over a Gnonto exit in one of the rare cases where they can, with the teenager not having a relegation release clause like most of his fellow key players.
Tyler Adams was on the way to Chelsea, until a dramatic collapse on Friday, because he had a £20m exit fee that the Londoners were set to activate.
Everton are clearly taken by the Italian international and appear to be the only club to have actually tabled bids for him, unless there have been further offers from elsewhere that have not yet come out.
Leeds United and manager Daniel Farke are stuck in an unenviable situation, given it is far from ideal to keep an unhappy player at the club when they have a route back to the Premier League.
The German currently has plenty of options in Gnonto’s position, even if he may be one of the top ones, but developments around Adams, and Max Aarons, in recent days have shown how fast things can change.
The club may be powerless to resist approaches for some of the other options so might be clinging onto Gnonto because they can’t with others.
However, it is currently difficult to be sure of anyone remaining at Elland Road past the deadline in a fast-moving environment.
In other Leeds United news, another exit “may be in doubt” thanks to recent developments according to Phil Hay
