Exclusive: Leeds Face Wilfried Gnonto Battle as Inter, Milan and Juve Monitor Situation

City rivals Internazionale and Milan are both contemplating swoops for Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto, who is also a target for Juventus, SportsBoom can reveal. 

Our sources have been told Serie A giants are convinced the 22-year-old is open to the possibility of returning to Italy after failing to cement a place in Daniel Farke’s starting eleven so far this term.

Turin had appeared to be Gnonto’s most likely destination, with Luciano Spalletti’s technical coordinators Alesandro Colasante and Michele Troiano both known admirers. 

But Cristian Chivu, Inter’s head coach, and Massimilano Allegri of I Rossoneri have also been monitoring the player’s situation at Elland Road closely.

Born in Piedmont, exactly two third of Gnonto’s 12 appearances in the Premier League since August have come from the bench with Farke preferring to use him in an impact role.

Leeds had previously been linked with a move for Coventry City striker Brandon Thomas-Asante, but those rumours have since cooled after the forward missed the last nine league matches through injury.

Gnonto on the Move?

The German’s refusal to heap praise on Gnonto after watching him cap a man-of-the-match display during last weekend’s FA Cup victory over Derby County will only fuel the uncertainty surrounding the attacker’s future in West Yorkshire.

Despite being invited to wax lyrical about Gnonto’s performance, which also saw him score a superb goal during the second-half of The White’s 3-1 win, Farke pointedly noted that individuals can only excel if their team mates produce. 

That comment, although he did later admit that he was “pleased” for Gnonto, is unlikely to have gone unnoticed by either Spalletti, Chivu, Allegri or the attacker’s advisors and representatives.

Nor, as he hopes to become a regular for his country at international level, is Gnonto expected to be satisfied with a bit part role at Elland Road having previously threatened to depart following the club’s relegation in 2023. 

Twelve months earlier, Gnonto had agreed a five year deal with The Whites after leaving Zurich, where he first turned professional following a spell on Inter’s books as a youngster.