Everton are ahead of Aston Villa in the race for 19-year-old Leeds United star Wilfried Gnonto
According to Alfredo Pedulla, Premier League side Everton are keen on signing Leeds United star Wilfried Gnonto this summer and are ahead of Aston Villa in the race to secure his signature.
The 19-year-old Italian sensation came through the ranks at Inter Milan before making his senior debut for FC Zurich. He spent two years in Switzerland before making the move to Elland Road last summer. While he enjoyed some fine moments, a return of four goals and assists apiece from 28 appearances is a disappointing return.
Despite suffering the ignominy of relegation, Gnonto is a man in demand and could return to the top flight sooner rather than later. Everton and Aston Villa are both keen and could offer the Italian star another shot at making his name in the Premier League
Villa under Unai Emery are an ambitious side on the up. Everton, meanwhile, just about managed to stave off relegation for a second successive season. The disparity between both the teams is clear and one would assume Gnonto would do better by eking out a move to the Midlands.
The Toffees are currently leading the race for the 19-year-old and could give themselves a shot in the arm by adding the Italian to their roster. A raw but talented youngster, Gnonto is rough around the edges but could make it big with the right guidance.
Primarily a left winger, Gnonto is capable of playing anywhere along the frontline. This is welcome news for Sean Dyche whose attack is nothing to write home about. The loss of Anthony Gordon last January further impacted an Everton frontline that hadn’t recovered from the departure of Richarlison and the injury concerns of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Gnonto is unlikely to learn the modern attacking game under Dyche but could earn himself a shot at playing week-in, week-out. A position as a regular is something that Everton can offer and Villa cannot. The Toffees will hope that the lure of a key spot in the squad will be enough to convince him to move to Merseyside.
Surely, he will hope to use his potential move to Everton as a springboard to better things. Unless fortunes improve quickly, the Toffees are likely to once again be fighting for their lives to avoid the drop.
