Towards the end of June, we relayed news from Italy that Everton and SC Freiburg have moved concretely to sign Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto.
The forward wants a transfer after the Whites’ relegation but they are currently unwilling to sanction a move.
Bild now state the Bundesliga side maintain an interest in the 19-year-old and he ‘definitely wants’ to join them.
It’s claimed the Italy international is so keen to join Freiburg that he’s willing to reject the ‘next best and higher offer’.
The German club’s record signing was worth €10m and they’ll have to break that figure to land Gnonto.
The report says Leeds are hoping to sell him to a Premier League side for €25m but none of the clubs interested in the player, including Freiburg, are ready to match their asking price.
Gnonto has expressed his desire to leave Danie Farke’s side but they are reluctant to let go of him. Bild state Freiburg believe Leeds may not be bluffing, so are looking at alternatives in the market.
This is unlikely to please Gnonto, who the German newspaper insist is keen to join Freiburg.
Leeds United turn transfer attention to Norwich City player
The Elland Road club are still searching for attacking reinforcements
Leeds United are interested in a move for Norwich City striker Josh Sargent.
The Elland Road club are still in need of a centre forward, with Rodrigo having left the club this summer, and Patrick Bamford still injured.
Current Leeds manager Daniel Farke signed Sargent for Norwich back in the summer of 2021.
Leeds United are interested in signing Norwich City striker Josh Sargent to boost their attacking options.
That’s according to a report from Football Insider, who say that the American international is on a list of potential striker signings for the Elland Road club.
Leeds stepping up striker search
A new attacker looks like it has to be a major priority for Leeds in what remains of the summer, with the lack of regular source of goals having proven costly as the club suffered relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season.
Those issues have continued into the summer, with Rodrigo – the club’s top scorer during the previous campaign – having departed the club, while Patrick Bamford and Georginio Rutter have been hampered by injury, and a new centre forward has yet to be signed.
As a result, it now seems as though the Whites are taking further steps in their attempts to boost their attacking firepower, and it seems Sargent has emerged as a potential option to fill that void.
Sargent on Leeds’ radar
According to this latest update, Norwich striker Sargent is now on Leeds’ list of potential striker targets for what remains of the summer transfer window.
Indeed, it is even suggested that a bid for the 23-year-old could be made in the course of the next few days.
Sargent is no stranger to current Leeds manager Daniel Farke, who signed the striker for Norwich back in the summer of 2021.
Since making the move to Carrow Road, Sargent has scored 18 goals in 73 appearances in all competitions for the Canaries. That includes 13 goals in 40 Championship games as Norwich finished 13th in the second-tier last season.
Sargent has already got off the mark for this season as well, having scored his first goal of the campaign in Norwich’s 4-4 draw with Southampton last weekend.
As things stand, there are still two years remaining on Sargent’s current contract with Norwich, securing his future at the club until the end of the 2024/25.
That of course, means that Norwich will have some scope to negotiate any offer that Leeds might make for the American international in the next couple of weeks.
Mixed starts to the campaign for Leeds and Norwich
It is in fact Norwich who have enjoyed the better start to the season of these two sides. The Canaries have beaten Hull and drawn with Southampton in their opening two games, meaning they currently sit sixth in the early Championship standings.
They will be looking to build on that when they host Millwall at Carrow Road on Sunday afternoon.
By contrast, Leeds had to come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Cardiff City on the opening day of the season, before losing to a stoppage time penalty at Birmingham City last weekend.
As a result, they currently sit 19th in the Championship table with just a point to their name, as they go in search of their first league win of the campaign when they host West Brom at Elland Road on Friday night.
