Everton transfer push for Willy Gnonto not dead after £15m bid snubbed amid ‘ongoing’ Leeds United talks
Everton are continuing to push forward for a deal to sign Willy Gnonto as they remain in “ongoing” talks with Leeds United, Ryan Taylor reports.
The Toffees have been prominent in the race to sign the Italian teenager since the Whites were relegated from the Premier League, with reports in Italy suggesting they were leading the race ahead of an apparently inevitable departure.
Then the Daily Mail poured cold water over that on Sunday (16 July) as it emerged a £15million bid had been rejected as he was not for sale, but according to Taylor’s update late that night the deal is not dead.
Reporting via Twitter the Express journalist wrote in his transfer update on another Elland Road departure for midfielder Marc Roca: “Talks also ongoing between Everton & Leeds for Wilfried Gnonto.”
Encouragement?
Gnonto, 19, would represent an exciting attacking arrival at Goodison Park if the Toffees can push through an agreement, at a time when precious few signings of that calibre have come in lately.
But it looks like it is going to be a battle if Leeds United are intent on fighting to keep him in the face of extensive transfer interest.
Either way striker is surely the priority, and while Gnonto could perhaps moonlight as a false-nine he certainly isn’t the Dominic Calvert-Lewin support or substitute Sean Dyche’s squad is crying out for.
If there is space in the transfer budget to continue pressing for this move while still bringing in a front-man from elsewhere then it is a positive development that talks are still continuing despite the rejected bid.
It would suggest that Everton had received enough encouragement from Leeds, or Gnonto, that they weren’t running up a blind alley.
But after missing out on his far cheaper former teammate Rodrigo, it would come as a surprise if the bid was upped significantly so it is currently hard to determine where these negotiations lead.
In other Everton news, a Sky Sports pundit has doubts over the transfer strategy at Goodison Park as two more high-quality attackers are chased.