Everton fail to sign Willy Gnonto from Leeds United as journalist claims ‘I don’t even think they significantly tried’
Everton didn’t “significantly“ try to sign Willy Gnonto from Leeds United before the transfer deadline despite their apparent late push, in the view of Ben Jacobs.
The CBS journalist told GIVEMESPORT on deadline day (1 September) the Toffees weren’t going to be able to sign the 19-year-old from Elland Road with their attempt “at the last minute”, and doesn’t think they were even fully committed to their approach.
A bid of £25.7million was reportedly rejected on Friday according to BBC Sport’s Shamoon Hafez, as it still didn’t reach the £30m asking price, when Everton had already had bids of around that size rejected earlier this summer [David Ornstein, 18 August].
Jacobs had said: “Wilfried Gnonto is not going to Everton, we knew that really, as soon as Leeds said that the player was not for sale and Gnonto apologised to Daniel Farke for how he handled the situation.
“Everton will not be able to come in and get that one done at the last minute, and I don’t even think they significantly tried.”
Weak
Now that the window is shut and Everton haven’t got Gnonto in their squad it does make the amount of time and effort they put in this summer look like a major waste.
In the Toffees’ defence, earlier in the window there was clearly a concerted push from the young attacker’s end to get the move done as he refused to play and put in a transfer request.
So despite Leeds as a club showing no signs of wanting to do business on the Italian, and Everton showing no ability to change their minds financially, there was at least encouragement that the teenager could change the situation himself.
But on a transfer deadline day that had been tipped to see the Toffees outstrip every other side in the Premier League with the amount of business they did it was only outgoings that went through while no replacements were sourced.
Returning to the Gnonto race, even after he had been brought back into the Leeds side by Daniel Farke, seemed a long shot either way, but offering similar money to what had already been knocked back while the attacker was out of the team was obviously not going to work.
On a positive note, getting Beto in this summer could be a game-changer, but Sean Dyche will have to hope it is because Neal Maupay and Tom Cannon both left on Friday.
Alex Iwobi has gone as well to leave the options looking sparse compared to what they were at the end of August, and what was hoped for come 11pm on 1 September.
Whether the final push for Gnonto was genuine or just for show only those in charge will know but it looked to have less chance of success than the earlier advances, and duly got the same result.
In other Everton news, another incoming deal from a Premier League rival failed and saw a second Toffees move collapse as a result.