Leeds United are currently competing to secure an instant return to the Premier League after they were relegated at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
The Whites spent three years at the top table of English football after former head coach Marcelo Bielsa won promotion from the Championship in 2020, in his second year at the club.
German tactician Daniel Farke is now looking to follow in the Argentine chief’s footsteps by getting out of the second division this season with the Yorkshire-based side.
The 47-year-old boss won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City and his side are currently third and eight points off top spot with 30 matches left to play.
He could look to the upcoming January transfer window to bolster his squad in order to improve their chances of winning promotion in the second half of the campaign.
With this in mind, one way in which the Whites could upgrade their roster could be to cash in on Wilfried Gnonto in order to free up the funds to sign Ilias Chair.
Leeds transfers news – Wilfried Gnonto & Ilias Chair
Firstly, the current Leeds forward has been touted with a move away from Elland Road at the start of 2024 after he failed to secure an exit over the summer.
Gnonto reportedly agreed a deal with Premier League side Everton ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, only for his club to pull the plug on any potential move.
TEAMtalk reported, last month, that the Toffees remain interested in a swoop for the Italy international, whilst Roma and Lazio – from his home country – are also in the running to land his signature.
Leeds are said to be looking for a fee within the region of £25m for the former Inter prospect. Although, it remains to be seen whether or not any of those three sides are willing to pay that.
Chair, meanwhile, was linked with a move to Yorkshire during the summer transfer window. Journalist Darren Witcoop claimed that the club emerged as a late contender to sign the Queens Park Rangers star.
They were prepared to pay the £6m fee that QPR wanted for their talented magician but the approach came too late in the window and did not afford the London-based side enough time to find a replacement, which put any possible move to bed.
Leicester City were also said to be keen on the Morocco international and Leeds could snap him up in January as a dream replacement for Gnonto if they decide to cash in on the Italian youngster.
Farke could make an early swoop for Chair, who could arrive as an upgrade on Gnonto, in order to provide QPR with plenty of time to spend the £6m to bolster their own squad.
Gnonto’s season in numbers
The 20-year-old dynamo has endured a difficult start to the 2023/24 campaign as he has been unable to provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.
Gnonto handed in a transfer request and missed three competitive matches for the Whites near the start of the season, which was not the ideal preparation for a successful year on the pitch for the forward.
He has, subsequently, not been able to hit his stride in the Championship and his current form does not suggest that it would be a huge blow for Farke if Everton, Lazio, or Roma swoop in to sign him for £25m.
The right-footed whiz, who can play out wide or through the middle, has registered one goal and one assist in ten league games for the Whites this term.
Gnonto has not been a regular source of goals or assists in the final third for Leeds and his lack of creativity has been apparent with 0.5 key passes per match and zero ‘big chances’ created in six starts.
This shows that the young talent has not been a difference-maker on the pitch for Farke as he has not influenced matches with a tangible impact regularly enough to be a key player.
Gnonto vs San Marino U21 (via Sofascore) | |
|---|---|
Statistic | Performance |
Minutes played | 73 |
Goals | Two |
Assists | Zero |
Penalties won | One |
Big chances created | One |
Sofascore rating | 9.2 |
As you can see in the table above, the current international break has produced a confidence-boosting performance from Gnonto, who excelled in a 7-0 win for Italy U21s against San Marino.
Hopefully, this will help him to push on and hit his stride in a Leeds shirt between now and the January transfer window. If not, then bringing in Chair as a replacement for the Italian winger could be a shrewd piece of business.
The statistics that show why Chair could replace Gnonto
The 26-year-old maestro has not been able to showcase the best of his abilities in a struggling QPR side so far this season as the gem has managed one goal, two assists, and 1.5 key passes per game across 15 outings.
However, his performances for his club throughout the 2022/23 campaign suggest that Chair has the quality to be a terrific option for Farke at the top end of the pitch.
He racked up five goals and nine assists in 40 Championship appearances as the young whiz displayed his ability to make an impact as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a wide position.
The 5 foot 7 ace, who was once hailed as “the real deal” by pundit Glenn Murray, was unfortunate to not hit double figures for assists as the QPR star created an eye-catching 12 ‘big chances’ for his teammates and made 2.4 key passes per match in 38 league starts.
Chair’s 2021/22 Championship record (via Sofascore) | |
|---|---|
Statistic | Performance |
Appearances | 39 |
Sofascore rating | 7.15 |
Goals | Nine |
Assists | Five |
Big chances created | Six |
Crysencio Summerville (2.6) and Georginio Rutter (2.5) are the only Leeds players with more than 2.4 key passes per game for the club this term, which illustrates how impressive his creativity was last season.
Therefore, Chair could be one of Farke’s outstanding creators and help to provide the likes of Joel Piroe, Patrick Bamford, and Rutter with plenty of opportunities in front of goal, which Gnonto has not been able to do this campaign.
His aforementioned statistics also show that the 26-year-old maestro can carry a goal threat and chip in with strikes of his own, to go along with his superb chance creation.
