Everton are reportedly favourites to sign Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto despite interest from Italian champions Napoli.
Leeds United are in desperate need of funds to bolster their playing squad for the 2023-24 campaign after suffering relegation from the Premier League last term. Several players have left Elland Road on loan so far and there are chances of more departing before the transfer window slams shut.
According to Football Insider, Everton are in talks to sign Wilfried Gnonto from Leeds United.
Gnonto, 19, joined Leeds last summer for a fee of just under £4 million from Swiss side FC Zurich. The Italian international was among the rare bright spots in an otherwise dismal campaign for the Peacocks that ended in relegation. He managed 28 appearances in his debut campaign in English football, registering four goals and as many assists.
While he still has four years left on his deal at Elland Road, a bid of £20million is likely to be enough for Everton to land Gnonto, the report adds.
Wilfried Gnonto to Everton—Right option?
Everton have already added Ashley Young and Arnaut Danjuma in the summer window after another battle with relegation last term. Having finished the last season as second-lowest scorers in the Premier League, the Merseyside outfit are chiefly focusing on attacking reinforcements in this ongoing transfer window.
Demarai Gray is set to be cashed in following the arrival of Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villarreal, which would potentially weaken Everton’s attacking unit. So, Sean Dyche is on the lookout for Gray’s replacement as he bids to end Everton’s woes in front of goal. Highly-rated Leeds winger Wilfried Gnonto is understood to be on Dyche’s radar, with the teenager having gone from strength to strength since moving to Elland Road.
What will excite Everton fans more than just Gnonto’s craftiness, pace and dribbling ability, is the ability to play in various positions across the front line. Despite being only 19 years old, the diminutive Italian enjoyed a solid debut season in the Premier League, starring regardless of the struggles of Leeds.
Such eye-catching performances have caught the attention of Dyche, and his calmness, matched with his ability to wriggle past players using his low centre of gravity and explosive pace, make him not just a good fit for Everton but also a lethal weapon to aid Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front next season.
What makes such a move to Everton even more tempting is his reported £20million price tag, which not only would alleviate pressure from the new signing’s shoulders but also allow Dyche to reinvest funds elsewhere in the squad. Gnonto presents a cut-price option for a fantastic player, and his arrival would undoubtedly boost the otherwise toothless Toffees attack.