Headline: Fiorentina Inquires About Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto Amid Transfer Deadline Pressure
Italian Serie A club Fiorentina has formally expressed interest in acquiring Wilfried Gnonto, the Italian international winger from Leeds United. Reports from Beren Cross and James Horncastle suggest that Leeds United is open to a sale, but they plan to secure a direct attacking replacement before allowing Gnonto to leave.
Fiorentina has identified other players for this position and has not moved past the initial inquiry stage yet. With the impending transfer deadline set for Tuesday at 11 PM, Leeds United finds itself in a precarious waiting situation.
The 22-year-old Gnonto has earned 13 caps for the senior Italy national team but struggled to make an impact in the previous season, totaling only 531 minutes in 23 Premier League appearances. Out of those matches, 19 were as a substitute, and he recorded no goals and just one assist—disappointing statistics for a player who was a significant investment for the club.
Last season, Gnonto did not complete a single dribble in the entire 2025/26 league season. His ball-loss rate approached 13% of his total touches, and he won only ten tackles throughout the year. These figures raise concerns about his fit in coach Daniel Farke’s possession-heavy 4-2-3-1 formation, where a non-defensive winger becomes a liability.
Gnonto’s training boycott aimed at facilitating a move to Everton continues to overshadow his current situation at Leeds. Although he declared his commitment to the club, his relationship with the team remains strained, especially given his limited playing time.
Leeds United now faces a crucial decision. With a market valuation around €16 million, this represents an opportune moment to consider a sale. Fiorentina seeks a left-sided attacker, given questions surrounding Albert Gudmundsson, presenting Leeds an opportunity to leverage the situation instead of waiting idly.
Club sources have connected Gnonto’s potential exit to a loan deal for Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk. Mudryk’s direct playing style aligns well with Farke’s vision for the team’s attack. With new signings like Harry Wilson and Largie Ramazani adding to the competition for positions, retaining a dissatisfied player who does not align tactically could impact Leeds United’s fight for Premier League survival.
Italian Serie A club Fiorentina have made a formal enquiry into the availability of Leeds United’s Italian international winger, Wilfried Gnonto, according to a report from Beren Cross and James Horncastle. Leeds United, who are open to sanctioning the sale, won’t let him go without first securing a direct attacking replacement. Fiorentina have other targets in that position and are yet to push this beyond an initial approach. The clock is ticking with Tuesday’s 11 pm deadline looming, and Leeds United sit in an awkward waiting game.
The 22-year-old, capped 13 times for the senior Italy national side, logged just 531 minutes across 23 Premier League appearances last season. 19 of those off the bench. He registered zero goals and a single assist. Not great numbers for a player who cost the club real money. His form has collapsed
LEEDS, ENGLAND – APRIL 18: Wilfried Gnonto of Leeds United looks on during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Elland Road on April 18, 2026 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
Advertisement
Zero completed dribbles in the entire 2025/26 league season. A ball-loss rate sitting near 13% of total touches. 10 tackles won all year. These aren’t the stats of someone Daniel Farke is building around. Under Farke’s possession-heavy 4-2-3-1 setup, a chaotic transition-dependent winger who can’t track back becomes a liability rather than an option.
His 2023 training boycott to push through an Everton move still casts a long shadow at Elland Road. He later declared he felt “proper Leeds,” but words don’t fix a fractured relationship, especially when you’re not getting minutes.
Leeds United must make a swift decision
At a market valuation hovering around €16 million, this is the peak moment to sell. Fiorentina want a left-sided direct attacker because of ongoing uncertainty around Albert Gudmundsson. That’s leverage Leeds United should exploit, not sit on.
Advertisement
Club sources have reportedly linked the winger’s exit directly to a potential loan move for Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk. Mudryk’s vertical directness is exactly what Farke’s frontline needs. With arrivals like Harry Wilson and Largie Ramazani already pushing the pecking order down further, keeping an unhappy, tactically misaligned player past Tuesday simply adds dead weight to a squad fighting Leeds United’s Premier League survival battle.
[/gpt3]