"No way that the club can justify" - Leeds United urged to take Willy Gnonto action | OneFootball

Leeds United have been urged to hand Willy Gnonto a new contract to deter offers following big-money departures this summer.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Willy Gnonto has seen the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter depart Leeds United in recent weeks, but is expected to stay at Elland Road beyond the transfer deadline.

Leeds and Daniel Farke will be desperate to keep at least one of their vital attacking players, especially those who are capable of a moment of magic in the final third to be decisive in big moments. Summerville's departure felt inevitable, but Rutter's now means that Gnonto can be retained.

It is especially pertinent that Leeds don't sell themselves short in terms of quality attacking players following Summerville's exit to West Ham and Rutter's to Brighton. For the first few fixtures, they will have enough quality, but will be leaving Farke's attack short of options and quality for the rest of the season without an extra player out wide and in attacking midfield to join the likes of Gnonto and Dan James in giving Leeds the required attacking thrust.

The loss of Rutter now means that Gnonto is the major attacking star and difference-maker left from last season’s frontline. The Italian didn’t quite hit the same heights last year as Rutter or Summerville, but he still contributed eight goals and two assists from 36 regular league appearances, and is a player with as much potential as the former pair.

With a goal against Portsmouth on opening day hopefully just the start. The 20-year-old Italian's ability one-vs-one, flair, and dynamic with other forwards could be crucial in any game when one moment of inspiration can make you a match-winner.

Football Insider have reported that the Whites have set a £25 million asking price for Gnonto amid interest from Everton. Gnonto also has a contract until 2027, meaning there is no immediate pressure to sell in that respect, either.

Last summer, the Toffees were unsuccessful in their attempts to sign the player and it's unclear whether they will end up making further moves between now and the end of the window with the Merseyside outfit recently having a £23 million bid rejected for him.

The Leeds United verdict on Willy Gnonto's future

Leeds are not prepared to let Gnonto leave Elland Road before the summer transfer window closes according to Give Me Sport, who believe the Whites won't sanction a sale because Daniel Farke feels a potential promotion mission could be derailed if the Italian departs in the next couple of weeks. All the indications are that he will remain in West Yorkshire.

Leeds Live have the latest on the situation, stating 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.

FLW’s Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith has reacted to the most recent updates regarding Gnonto and his future. He has urged the Whites to retain the 20-year-old at all costs this summer after seeing so many of last year's key players depart.

He said: "After we've sold Archie Gray, Summerville, and Rutter – there is simply just no way that the club can justify accepting a bid for Gnonto.

"They stood firm a year ago when Everton came calling and the same has to happen again. Obviously, so far, they are the only team that have seemingly tested our resolve with him.

"Thankfully, this time with Gnonto, he seems to have shown a great attitude when it comes to the idea of staying put and getting his head down to try and get this team promoted again. "The way he celebrated his goal against Portsmouth suggested a player that is happy to be here and happy to succeed at Elland Road. "Looking at the end of the window now, we really need to add to Gnonto in attack. Watching him be our only forward-thinking outlet against West Brom was really tough to watch. "He has undoubted quality, but he can't do it on his own and he needs more support. He needs a more balanced set up alongside him rather than letting him go as well. "With that, I would hope that instead of considering any offers, we are actually going the opposite way and getting a new contract down for him as soon as possible.

"We need to deter any future bids from clubs and show him what he is actually worth to us, which is an awful lot."

As has been seen in early fixtures, a restructuring of Leeds' forward line could see Gnonto switch to the opposite flank, given how comfortable he is at attacking the box from an inverted angle, and that he is two-footed enough to thrive as the left-winger.

Holding onto Gnonto and signing at least one other difference-maker in the final third would see the Whites have one of the strongest attacks in the league yet again, despite the losses of Summerville and Rutter. It does mean that he is their most vital attacker, though.

Leeds should be comfortably challenging for promotion this year, but the more big players they sell the more precarious their chances of a top-flight return will be, which makes their stance on Gnonto paramount to stick by. His dribbling ability and ball-striking will be enough to settle tight games this season in the Championship.