Aston Villa have joined Everton in the race to sign Wilfried Gnonto.
Sportitalia have reported that the Italian will ‘definitely’ leave Leeds United this summer and Aston Villa are the latest club to express interest in his signature – though Everton are said to be the favourites to land him.
Gnonto enjoyed a promising first season in English football after joining Leeds from Zurich last year, though his future at the club has looked in doubt since they were relegated to the Championship.
There have been a number of clubs linked with a move for Gnonto, though the report claims that Everton, Villa and Freiburg are the only three that have made an official approach.
Villa have most recently been informed that Leeds will demand £21.5 million to lure the teenager away from Yorkshire, while Goodison Park could be his most likely destination.
It would be a surprise to see Everton land Wilfried Gnonto
Given the increasing interest in Wilfried Gnonto, it would be a big surprise to see Everton sign him this summer.
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The Italy international is a huge talent and has even received praise from his international boss Roberto Mancini, who said: “He can still improve and he’s young, he has quality. I hope other young people can follow his example and go abroad to play. If they are good then they play”.
Gazzetta dello Sport recently reported that Sean Dyche’s side were battling Juventus and Inter Milan for the winger, while Manchester City and Arsenal were credited with interest back in May.
While Everton are the current favourites to sign Gnonto, it could all change very quickly if other clubs meet Leeds’ £21.5m asking price.
The Toffees would presumably have to pay Gnonto’s fee in instalments and the Whites are likely to prefer to sell to a club willing to pay up front.
However, the 19-year-old was already left frustrated in the final months of last season as he spent most of his time on the bench, so he is unlikely to want to join any club if it means even less game time.
Gnonto would heavily feature in Everton’s line-up, so perhaps the teams such as Aston Villa and Freiburg are a bigger threat than the ‘big’ teams.