Leeds United could be busy before the transfer deadline, but Fabrizio Romano has shared the Whites’ current off-field "priority".
Leeds transfer rumours
The 49ers Enterprises and Daniel Farke are yet to make their mark in the January transfer window, with just over 24 hours to go until the deadline.
The current focus has been open players leaving Elland Road, with the latest being Leo Hjelde leaving for Sunderland. Luke Ayling and Darko Gyabi have also sealed loan exits to Middlesbrough and Plymouth, whereas Djed Spence’s season-long loan from Spurs was cut short.
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As a result, Leeds are left fairly light in defence, especially at full-back, with a whole host of rumoured targets being linked with a move to Yorkshire, such as Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies, West Ham’s Ben Johnson, Burnley’s Connor Roberts, Bournemouth’s Chris Mepham and Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall.
Everton’s Ben Godfrey is another in contention, with Leeds thought to be planning a new bid for the defender’s services. Alongside a potential late signing, Leeds have also been working on new contracts. Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph have already extended their stay, with attention now turning to Wilfried Gnonto.
Wilfried Gnonto contract update
Phil Hay claimed last week that a new deal at Elland Road for Gnonto was in the pipeline.
Now, talking to GiveMeSport, Romano said that Leeds’ “priority” is on sealing a new deal for Gnonto, which would be “fantastic news”. The transfer expert said it’s close and even claimed paperwork could be completed “in the next hours or days”.
“Leeds’ priority will be to extend Gnonto's contract. This is getting closer and would be fantastic news for Leeds. They're pushing for the final details to be resolved as soon as possible and for the contract to be signed in the next hours or days. So, this is their priority.”
Gnonto has struggled to make his mark in the Championship, scoring just once in 21 second-tier games. However, he did make his mark during his first 12 months at the club in the Premier League, which resulted in rumours over a move to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Therefore, those at Elland Road will know the qualities Gnonto has, so securing a new long-term deal could be a wise move alongside protecting the player’s valuation.
Of course, there was the transfer request saga involving the Italy international over the summer, which saw him missing from a number of games, where at the time, there was no release clause in his deal. That could be something that changes in his new contract, making this one to watch.