Leeds United could be involved in a familiar tale at Elland Road as one of their players is being lined up for a loan exit in January, according to recent reports.
Leeds United’s new era under Daniel Farke
Despite suffering relegation last term amid a backdrop of uncertainty at Elland Road, Leeds United have reacted superbly to life in the Sky Bet Championship as Daniel Farke continues to put his stamp on the Yorkshire-based outfit. Winning nine and drawing four of their opening 16 matches in the English second-tier, the Whites sit third in the league standings and have put themselves in contention for promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Nevertheless, Ipswich Town hold an eight-point advantage over Leeds United in the hunt for automatic access to the riches of the Premier League and Farke’s men will need to put together an imperious run of form to catch the Tractor Boys. Part of the precariousness that surrounded Leeds United heading into 2023/24 was down to the sheer number of players that left the club in the summer, either on a loan basis or permanently.
In particular, some of the loan departures caused some debate among the Elland Road faithful, who weren’t all keen to see some of their best assets leave the building not long after the club spent considerable money to acquire their services in the first place.
Leeds United’s summer loan departures | |
Player | Club loaned to |
Robin Koch | Eintracht Frankfurt |
Sonny Perkins | Oxford United |
Jack Harrison | Everton |
Cody Drameh | Birmingham City |
Sam Greenwood | Middlesbrough |
Marc Roca | Real Betis |
Rasmus Kristensen | Roma |
Luis Sinisterra | Bournemouth |
Max Wober | Borussia Monchengladbach |
Brenden Aaronson | Union Berlin |
All details courtesy of Transfermarkt | |
Now, the mood has changed due to Farke’s sterling work in the transfer market, which has helped to adequately replace some of those who chose to seek refuge elsewhere. However, they could be about to embark on a familiar tale, according to a fresh report involving one of their players.
Lazio eye Wilfried Gnonto loan deal
According to Calcio Style, Lazio are keen on Leeds United attacker Wilfried Gnonto and could look to enact an initial loan deal with a potential option to activate a buyout clause for the Italy international in the summer for a fee totalling around €15 million. The report states that Gnonto would be open to a move elsewhere and is looking around for alternative destinations as he seeks to perform at the highest level possible.
Once labelled “special” by former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch, Gnonto has endured a frustrating time of things this term for his current employers, registering one goal and a solitary assist in 11 appearances across all competitions (Gnonto statistics – Transfermarkt).
Despite this, the Verbania-born forward has managed to record an average of 1.1 shots taken and 1.4 completed dribbles per match in the English second-tier, demonstrating his potency in attack (Gnonto statistics – WhoScored).
Leeds will be keen to avoid being stuck in an awkward position regarding Gnonto’s future, though it will be intriguing to see if he is still at Elland Road beyond January.
