How Leeds can sign an elite-level Wilfried Gnonto

Having faded from view under Daniel Farke last season, Leeds United‘s Wilfried Gnonto looks like a man on a mission this summer.

Yes, it isn’t wise to read too much into pre-season, but there’s been plenty to like about the Italian’s cameos so far, having been a real bright spark again against Manchester United.

The 22-year-old had previously supplied the assist for Lukas Nmecha late on in the 2-0 win over RB Leipzig, producing an inch-perfect, driven cross for the German to tap home at the back post.

There wasn’t to be another contribution this time around against Michael Carrick’s side, but boy did Gnonto make his mark in a lively second-half outing.

Gnonto’s stellar display vs Man Utd in numbers

It’s been a funny old time for Gnonto at Elland Road, it must be said, having never truly managed to nail down a regular, consistent role in the starting lineup.

Even while scoring and assisting 15 goals in 2024/25, he only started 26 Championship games, with that latter tally falling to a lowly four last time out in the Premier League.

On the evidence of his performance against the Red Devils, Farke would be wise to hand Gnonto a more prominent role moving forward, with the youngster having been a real pest down that right flank.

Opposite man, Harry Amass, had enjoyed a creditable first-half, yet the 21-year-old full-back simply couldn’t handle Gnonto after the break, caught out time and again by the Italian’s speed and directness.

In that 45-minute outing, the Leeds speedster provided one key pass, attempted three crosses and attempted one dribble, also chipping in the other way too with seven defensive contributions made.

He did lose the ball ten times from his 36 touches, but he was relentless in his desire to run at Amass and then Luke Shaw, notably almost picking out Dominic Calvert-Lewin at one stage with another fine pull-back.

It mattered little in the end, but the former FC Zurich starlet also rifled in his penalty with aplomb in the shootout, producing the finish of a man full of confidence right now.

The question is, does Farke trust him to deliver on the Premier League stage? And will further arrivals only further harm his hopes of regular game time?

Leeds’ search for a new forward after Wilson signing

With only free transfer signing Harry Wilson having been brought in to strengthen the forward line, there is a feeling that the Yorkshire side could do with a little more depth in attack.

Perhaps the likes of Gnonto could almost be viewed as a ‘new signing’, particularly considering how little he played last season, but Farke and co do appear to have their sights set on a potential statement deal.

According to reports in Turkey, the Elland Road outfit have lodged a total bid of around €55m (£46m) to sign AC Milan star, Rafael Leao, while Aston Villa have also made a move of their own.

REUTERS/Pedro Nunes

The key sticking point right now appears to be the Portuguese’s wage demands, believed to be around €10m (£9m) a year, ensuring there might need to be some negotiation on that side of things.

Not that Leeds should blow up the wage bill to sign the 27-year-old, but what a coup it would be to sign arguably “one of the best left-wingers in the world“, in the view of analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson.

He’s a true superstar, someone who could really explode if he were to make a Premier League move this summer, after spending the last seven years in Italy.

There have been periods of inconsistency, like Gnonto and co, but when he’s in the groove, Leao is such a handful, as his overall record at Milan speaks to.

In 291 games at San Siro, he’s scored and assisted 145 goals, while his record in Serie A alone stands at 114 goal involvements in just 227 games.

You could well say he’s like an elite-level Gnonto, an explosive, at times erratic forward who can breeze past players at will, yet one who does boast greater pedigree and proven end product than the young Italian.

As he showed at the World Cup this summer, for instance, there’s a breathtaking quality to his game when he’s running defenders, having averaged 2.2 successful dribbles per game.

It was a difficult 2025/26 campaign, but Leao did sparkle in 2024/25, scoring and assisting 16 goals, while averaging 1.7 successful dribbles per game that year.

For context, that same season saw Gnonto average just one successful dribble per game in the Championship, the Leeds man yet to really prove himself on a consistent basis either in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

The same can’t be said of Leao, and while he hasn’t tried his hand in England, he’s shown what he can produce both in Italy and in Europe, registering 13 goals and assists in just 30 career Champions League appearances, alongside eight in 14 Europa League outings.

His supreme pace and physical prowess should ensure he has no trouble thriving in the Premier League, with this a truly game-changing signing, if Leeds can pull it off.

Of course, Gnonto looked sharp and direct in midweek, but Leao is simply a cut above.