Everton: Toffees receive Wilfried Gnonto transfer update
The Leeds United winger is Sean Dyche’s “main target.”
Everton have now been provided with an update on their pursuit of Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto by Rudy Galetti, with the journalist indicating the move could now be getting closer…
Is Wilfried Gnonto leaving Leeds?
Having refused to play for Leeds, Gnonto has now handed in a transfer request to ensure he gets his move this summer, and Everton have made their interest clear, having previously had a number of bids turned down.
At first, Leeds had been unwilling to sanction the winger’s departure, but his refusal to play may eventually force their hand, as he continues to push for a move to Goodison Park, where he is thought of in very high regard by manager Sean Dyche.
Linking up with the Toffees would give the Italian the best possible chance of being selected in his country’s European Championships squad next summer, which is a big reason why he is so keen on the move, and a new bid may be on its way soon.
After having their latest offer, which amounted to £25m, knocked back by Leeds, Everton are now likely to make a final bid this week, which is set to be in the region of £30m, with crucial talks between the two clubs pencilled in over the next few days.
On the player’s side of things, an agreement has already been reached in principle, with meetings taking place as far back as spring, and Galetti has now provided another update on the 19-year-old’s stance about a move to Merseyside.
In an interview with GiveMeSport, the journalist clarified that a move to Goodison Park is the best option on the table for the youngster at the moment, meaning he is now committed to the move:
“Everton are focused on signing a new offensive player. We’ve previously discussed that Gnonto represents the main target.
“After the initial hesitation of the Italian player, he’s now given the green light for the move, especially because he doesn’t want to play in the Championship and also because there are no other interesting alternatives for him to leave Leeds.
“Now, he’s out of the squad, and Everton are pushing hard with the player leveraging also on his side to make the move happen.”
However, since then, Phil Hay has revealed that the Italian is back in training with Leeds after missing the last three games.
How good is Wilfried Gnonto?
As of February 12th last season, the starlet had recorded the second-highest WhoScored match rating of any under 21 in the Premier League, and he could now be ready to kick on and improve on his tally of two goals and four assists in the top flight.
It has been well-documented that the Toffees are not in the best financial state, so £30m would be a huge sum to fork out on one, relatively unproven Premier League player, but journalist Joe Donnohue believes he has “considerable potential.”
If Everton’s next bid for Gnonto is knocked back, it could make sense to move on and pursue other targets, with Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi recently emerging as a potential alternative who may well be a lot cheaper.
However, if Leeds do soften their stance and accept a £30m offer for the Italy international, then he could be a solid long-term addition to Dyche’s squad.
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