Leeds United star to ‘betray’ club by securing huge transfer to Euro giant, with swap deal mooted

Leeds United star Wilfried Gnonto could ‘betray’ his former club Inter Milan by returning to Italy with one of their biggest rivals, according to a report.

Gnonto is a product of the Inter academy. He made it into their U19 side but never registered a senior appearance for the club. In July 2020 he left Inter to join Swiss outfit FC Zurich, for whom he went on to register 12 goals and 10 assists in 74 appearances.

The attacker, who mainly operates as a left winger but can also play on the right or as a second striker, took the next step in his career by joining Leeds last summer.

According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Leeds spent £3.8million plus add-ons to sign the 19-year-old.

Despite his lack of experience competing in a major European league, Gnonto has been brilliant for the Whites this season. He has scored Premier League goals in draws against West Ham and Manchester United, while also notching a brace in the 5-2 FA Cup thrashing of Cardiff City in January.

He was one of Leeds’ only sources of positivity as pressure mounted on former manager Jesse Marsch, who has since been replaced by Javi Gracia.

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It would be a huge loss for Leeds if Gnonto ended up leaving, both in terms of his current influence on the team and what he will be able to offer in the future when he reaches his full potential.

But the prospect of the teenager departing Elland Road has just been talked up by Italian source Calciomercato. They claim Juventus have taken an interest in Gnonto and will try to sign him this summer.

Leeds man could ‘betray’ former side

Such a move would be a ‘betrayal’ on Inter, given the rivalry between them and Juve.

Max Allegri’s team are supposedly monitoring Gnonto ‘with great attention’. And they could have a trick up their sleeve in the form of Weston McKennie’s loan deal.

McKennie has joined Leeds from Juve on a six-month loan lasting until the summer. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Leeds have the option to sign the midfielder permanently for £28.9m.

Calciomercato state Juve could propose a new player-plus-cash deal involving both Gnonto and McKennie. However, they fail to mention the exact details of this potential swap transfer.

It is great for Gnonto on a personal basis to be attracting attention from Juve. It shows that he is doing all the right things at Leeds and that he should be in the thoughts of Italy national team boss Roberto Mancini.

However, Leeds will not be happy about Juve striking up an interest in one of their top players. They will be very excited with how Gnonto is developing and will not want him to get distracted by the thought of going back to Italy.

The forward’s Leeds contract runs until June 2027, which puts the club in a strong negotiating position. If Juve come forward with an offer later this year, it will likely be pushed back unless it is worth a huge amount.

Meanwhile, a Leeds player has confirmed that talks are going on between the club and his agent over a new contract.