Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has endured a turbulent time in the dugout so far and is currently having to deal with a frustrating transfer saga around Wilfried Gnonto.
What’s the latest Wilfried Gnonto transfer news?
After their 1-0 loss to Birmingham City on Saturday, the German manager confirmed that he does not want any players who are not committed to the cause, as the Italy international and Luis Sinesterra were both left out of the squad.
Farke stated that he will not be “begging” anyone to play for the Whites and that they will train on their own until their future is decided if needed.
Gnonto made himself unavailable for selection against Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup during the week and for their league clash with Birmingham this weekend.
Transfer guru and journalist Fabrizio Romano has recently revealed that the forward has already agreed terms with Premier League side Everton as he seeks a move away from Elland Road, however, the club are not interested in cashing in on him.
Who could replace Wilfried Gnonto at Leeds?
Farke could forget all about Gnonto and sanction an exit for the 19-year-old marksman by securing a deal to sign reported transfer target Joel Piroe, who would cost at least £15m.
Whilst the current Whites attacker is a promising talent who has shown glimpses of quality, the Swansea striker is the real deal and would come in as a proven performer who could bolster the club’s promotion charge.
Gnonto has scored three goals and provided four assists in 25 league matches games for Leeds since the start of last season. He is yet to prove himself to be capable of making a significant impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis.
Whereas, Piroe has been there and done it at Championship level over the past two seasons in Wales and has the pedigree to come in as Farke’s go-to man for goals this year.
Journalist Josh Bunting previously described the left-footed ace as “clinical” and a “danger man”, which is backed up by his impressive statistics in recent years for Swansea.
The 24-year-old finisher produced 19 goals and two assists across 43 league matches for the Swans during the 2022/23 campaign and that came after he plundered 22 goals and six assists in 45 outings throughout the previous term.
No Leeds player managed more than 13 Premier League goals last season and no current forward, due to Rodrigo’s departure, managed more than five.
This suggests that Farke is not blessed with a plethora of goalscoring options and this was on display on Saturday as Leeds produced seven shots and failed to score despite having 59% of the ball during the 1-0 defeat to Birmingham.
Piroe’s superb Championship record suggests that he has the quality to be the missing link for the Whites within the final third as the prolific Dutchman is a proven scorer who can provide a focal point in the number nine position.
Therefore, Farke could forget all about Gnonto by signing the £15m-rated star as the Swans marksman has the potential to provide the team with a significant improvement in terms of his output when it comes to goals and assists.
