Chances of Wilfried Gnonto leaving Leeds United before August 30th become clearer | OneFootball

The Whites are potentially at risk of losing a fourth star player this summer.

Leeds United do not expect to lost star forward Wilfried Gnonto this summer, amid rumours that he had handed in a transfer request.

Elland Road attendees may have felt a bit of déjà vu in the past week or so.

Last summer was the saga of Gnonto. Would he stay or would he go? He certainly tried his hardest to leave, effectively going on strike to try and force his way out of the club, but, as many expected, he was held to the terms of his contract and eventually stayed put.

Now, after Leeds sold Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter, the Italian is one of the few top names left in Daniel Farke's side, and rumblings of another potential exit for Gnonto came up again.

It's been some turnaround for him. From this time last year, when he was an effective outcast from the team, to now being the person that many United supporters would pin their hopes on.

If he were to go, it'd feel like it's all falling apart for Leeds, again, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Leeds' stance on Wilfried Gnonto transfer

Leeds Live have said that the club have no intention of letting the 20-year-old leave before the end of the window, and that he has not handed in any transfer request.

They added that, after it became clear that he would not be leaving last summer, he has acted professionally, earned back the trust and respect of the squad members, coaches and supporters, and has not tested Farke's warning of there being no third chance for him.

Gnonto hasn't been short of links to top clubs this summer. Leeds turned down a £23 million bid from Everton for the Italian winger, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post's Graham Smyth. Football Insider stated that a £25 million offering would be enough to get the Whites to sell, but this was prior to the news of Rutter's expected departure.

If Leeds were to lose him now, it'd feel like almost all the venom from last season's attack would be gone. That vicious barrage of wide attackers that they could throw at opposition defences was too much for most to handle. That weapon isn't as effective anymore, and it will be even less so if Gnonto leaves.

He failed to threaten against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, but he did net his opening goal of the campaign against Portsmouth on Leeds' opening day.

Latest reports should give Leeds supporters encouragement

If the winger were to have reversed his actions, been professional last summer and then thrown his toys out of the pram now, once all of his co-stars had left the group, that would have been more understandable. Leeds no longer look like the potential promotion lock that they did just a matter of weeks ago.

Luckily for United that hasn't happened; they've had feint déjà vu rather than Groundhog Day. He hasn't downed tools and demanded a move, and that should give supporters hope about his future.

With the sales that have already gone through, and those that are soon to be confirmed, there is a big void to be filled in this United team.

Gnonto could use this current unsure state that the club is in to his advantage; assert himself as the main man and become the Summerville of this season.