Gnonto submits transfer request at Leeds

Apparently Leeds have opened disciplinary proceedings against the Italy international, who continues to be linked with a move to Premier League side Everton.

Simon Jordan of Talksport said about him, "God forbid that these people ever have any real adversity in their lives, because the terrible thing is you're going to have to stay at a massive football club like Leeds, picking up a decent salary. What type of characters do these people think they are?”

Jim White agreed with his co-host and added: “Pull on the shirt. Get on with it.”
If the lad wants to go let him.

Time to move on. It’s a shame but they’re trying to pull our pants down. Use the 25mil and go all out for a striker at this point.

Leeds are utterly stupid he won’t play for them and his value will plummet.

Time to move on, make the same offer for Yohan Bakayoko from PSV. 20 years old, a Belgium international and most importantly, a right winger, first and foremostly, unlike Gnonto.

I think we might be at ceiling on what we’ll pay and Palace are in after selling Olise. Bakayoko looks good but his “progressive” stats are sure to draw negative comments. Joking, he looks a decent prospect but I know fuck all about him

His disciplinary record is not exactly good. He's been booked 19 times over the past 2 seasons. I remember also he had a right strop on with Coleman at the end of the match, when we played them at Goodison last season.

If he does come here, Dyche will need to calm him down but not in a Scouse accent of course. As for the fee £25M seems a bit too much. £20M plus add ones seems a fairer fee to me. Over 5 years too.

Leeds are reported to be taking disciplinary proceedings against him for refusing to play.

Surely we should be doing the same with Gbamin?

The new centre forward is obviously going to be announced completely out of the blue. The club must be making every effort to suppress any possible rumours as to who it could be!

Anthony, is that what's happening with Gbamin?

I know he doesn't want to come back but my gut feeling was that maybe he's been released already?! We're unlikely to get a fee and it will save us his wages.

Gbamin's currently injured. He's in Paris, apparently, in rehab but his agent has basically said he won't be coming back to us whatever happens.

I suspect he'll either run his contract down or we'll agree to terminate it in January so he can find a new club.

Leeds don't give a flying kite about Everton, or Gnonto, now. They are just trying to flush out any other interested buyer who will pay a bit more and more up front.

That game will become risky going into the last week of the transfer window, so I'm betting that a compromise could well be reached over the next few days, so they can strengthen.

Disciplinary action? Just stop paying him. He’s not turning up for work. Isn’t it that simple?

Gavin, the only we can release him is by paying him the wages owed.

Since there doesn't seem to be anything untoward, I'll take a guess.

His agent has stated to the Press that Gbamin wants to go back to Germany. So, if we keep paying him thru 31 August, we'd still owe him right about £3 million.

Should be plenty of Bundesliga clubs can afford him if we ask some small transfer fee or even let him go on a "free" and he works the £3 million out with whoever signs him.

I would bring Gbamin back and ask him to sweep the dressing room floors and scrub clean the showers.

1st warning - 2nd warning - final warning - dismissal and termination of contract.

Do we not have an HR department?

If we did that, Phil, we'd get hammered in an employment tribunal. And we'd give players another reason to swerve us. Bad luck, long contract, high wages mean he's another we're stuck with till his contract finishes.

Gbamin not coming back is in breach of his contract and we would have every right to terminate it.

Gnonto is a talent but Leeds are trying to pull our pants down, maybe Leeds knocking back the latest offer may mean more money in the kitty for an experienced CF...

Gbamin and Dele could be our midfield in the EFL trophy...

If Gbamin is injured, he'll have to come back to Finch Farm to be assessed, if not the club can refuse to honour his contract.–––

Gbamin's agent apparently said 'he's not coming back'. That's not breach of contract. Gnonto has literally not turned up for work. That's breach of contract. Big difference.

£25M is the most I’d go for this lad.

Sure he’s really very good AND has a high ceiling BUT question marks over his character (1 good season with us and if Man U come calling and we don’t want to sell then he’ll go on strike) AND Leeds fans say he tailed off after Xmas.

I feel like it’s time to move onto other targets now.

Asking Gbamin to sweep the changing rooms or whatever is like asking me to do brain surgery.

It's not his job. Can't do it.

Gnonto, Harrison, McNeil, Danjuma(?), Gray – explains why we signed Young, to teach one or two of them how to convert to full back.

They've got the overlapping bit and now just need the tackle and defensive positioning bit, it worked for Ray Wilson albeit at Huddersfield and also suits Pickford's kicks to the touchline. Do we have any encouraging wingers in the Academy or has all hope been abandoned?

I watched the PSV game the other night and Bakayoko looks a good player.

Why not get these players in and build for the future? And Dyche, play some of the youngsters! If you're buying a young striker from Portugal, then why not give the likes of Cannon and Dobbin a go?

(Sorry for going slightly off topic, admin.)

Move on.

£25M for an exciting prospect is not what we can afford at the moment.

Move on. This has dragged on long enough and is turning into a pantomime a la Everton.

Robert and Sam have highlighted a number of possible prospects that would fit the bill for us. Forget Gnonto, take any money we have offered for him and go all out for the best fit from them.

But get a move on, time's running out, and if my memory serves me correctly, we have been in this situation before several times recently… or maybe I'm confusing us with a poorly run club?

Albeit a decent player, this has 'Moise Kean' written all over it.

£25 million pissed away later down the line as it doesn't work out and he has a strop.

If we have this supposed £25 mill, go find a striker of that fucking worth.

Back of my mind though, and I don't think Everton are this fucking clever but is this some smokescreen whilst we are getting a striker over the line and taking other clubs' eyes off it?

I really don't know anymore!!!

I'm obviously missing something, Paul @19, as to how you are drawing that distinction?

My understanding of the loan system is that the player (Gbamin) remains under contract with the parent club (us in this case) but his registration is temporarily transferred to the loaning club. When the term of the loan expires (end of last season), his registration reverts back to the parent club – to which he is contractually bound.

The only difference with Gnonto is that he hasn't gone out on loan. But (from the outside at least) both appear to me to be in breach of contract. The other difference being that Leeds are doing something about it… and Everton, of course, are seemingly not.

If anyone wants to make "What are Leeds playing at?" type of comments (I've seen them on Twitter), I've got two words:

John Stones

Leeds ain't doing anything wrong IMO.

Are we that stupid, that we would lash out this sort of money on a winger, when our need for a striker is so pressing? Surely not, not even we are that criminally insane.

This whole link is garbage in my view. We ain't spending this sort of money on another facking winger. If we did, that would mean that at a moment when we have no fit striker (other than reserves and teenagers) but we go ahead and bring in three wingers. It cannot be true.

Can it?

Suddenly, out of the blue, we go from skint to making £25M bids for players. It is probably Mr Andy Bell increasing his loan.

Having signed Chermiti, I very much doubt we are still looking for a centre-forward.

Chaps,

We've nominally bid £25M (if reports are to be believed) but the structure of it means that it's probably say £18M spread across 5 years (hence actually around £3.5M per year) and the rest performance related….which is why Leeds have turned it down.

Meanwhile, we are saving any proper money we have to secure a striker (I hope).

Whether we like it or not, there appears to be a strategy finally at this club regarding transfers.

Now I personally believe that that strategy should have already purchased a striker that's fit, ready and raring to go but obviously those are at a premium and don't seem to fit our small transfer budget.

So don't presume that our priority is wingers: it just so happens that's the way that the deals so far have landed.

But I agree with the general sentiments: get a bloody striker in asap and move on from Gnonto if Leeds are playing hardball.

I applaud Leeds for taking the stance they have regarding Gnonto.

Before the Bosman ruling came into force, the clubs held the whip hand in holding onto a player's contract till they could sell him, but now the players have all the power.

He was quite happy to sign a contract at Leeds which gave him a salary he was happy with and also a length of contract he was happy with. But, now that they have been relegated, which he along with the other Leeds players must take some responsibility for, he now wants a move back to the Premier League to try and stay in the Italian national squad.

He isn't interested in Everton – we are just a method for him to get back playing Premier League football. Now we can debate all day whether he is the type of player we need, but surely isn't it time for clubs to make a stand?

If a player is still under contract and they don't want to sell him, that should be the end of it? Maybe the Premier League need to step in and protect those rights.

There's reported to be a big sell-on clause in his contract, the president of FC Zurich called it “exceptionally high”. It allowed Leeds to buy him for a relatively small fee. No wonder Leeds don't want to sell cheaply.

Gent apparently want €25M for Orban. Why are we bidding £25M for Gnonto?

Obviously not a given Orban would choose us but seems to be a player who's very highly regarded, scoring loads and if he can score half the goals in the Premier League as he has in Belgium, we would probably sell for £75M in a couple of years time. Scored 20 goals in 22 games and is only 21!

Tottenham lining Orban up after selling Kane. Could we not have gone in for him back in June while the Kane saga was still dragging on?

Up the offer to 30 million,if Leeds still don't bite then simply walk away and scour the globe for a similar player and a half decent Striker too!

I think the player and his agent have played a blinder, they want more cash in their pockets and they're going to get it one way or another. I'm not fussed if Everton don't end up signing this player and if we haven't already moved on, then we should do. It's not in the squad's interest to have more mercenaries in its ranks, than it already has. Go back in January, if he's still at Leeds and Everton still want him, then let's see what demands he and Leeds make then.

Spend it on Palmer from City.

got of whiff of the summer we spent trying to get Zaha. he's an exciting prospect, but there are others out there and I'd prefer we moved on if Leeds' valuation is above where we can go.

As others have mentioned, as a winger, we already have Danjuma, McNeil and Harrison...plus Iwobi. Another would be good, but funds should be prioritised towards a striker.

I really like Gnonto but 25mil is an overspend currently. If that's been rejected then it's time to move on. I'd imagine going any higher would mean less money for a striker and with Daka going to Monaco we're starting to lose options. The longer this drags on the harder it's going to be to get good value and less time for a striker.

Leeds are either playing a blinder and will get way more money than he's worth or have just lost 25million that they needed BADLY to rebuild their squad for a player that has destroyed all ties with the club.

Gnonto should be avoided.
We need any dosh to get a striker through the door.
Isn't it interesting how we take one Leeds lad on loan and are trying to buy another...just like getting Mc Neil and Tarks from Burnley the two clubs who wanted to sue us.

Eddie, I agree we need a goalscoring striker, ideally 2 as DCL will never put in the games we need or a high scorer.

Cant understand why we are wasting all this time and energy on a ten a penny position instead of going all in on a top striker

If they don't sell him to us, they're left with a disgruntled player. I hope we just move on. We m,ay not have much money for a goalscorer, so I hopw e save what we've got and get the best we can afford.
it's likely, as some have said, that we might miss out on a goalcorer, by waiting; but the best available will probably be looking to join the clubs with the best chances of getting into Europe anyway.
I think we'll do well to get a forward who can score around 10-15 and can bring other players into the game. But so far, so good.

Jay 42] Agree. But we have ‘form’ for these long drawn out pursuits. We’ve been here before. This is feeling like the summer we spent pursuing Siggy before getting him at a ludicrously inflated price and the summer spent chasing Wilf Zaha before overspending on Iwobi at the 11th hour.

Concerned again that our DoF has forgotten (angain) our need for a proper CF.

Meanwhile we stumble towards the weekend and our customary defeat at Villa.

Not too many Italian wingers / forwards have done well in the premier league.

For me Gnonto didn't have me off my seat in the games I watched Leeds and I thought he was quite poor against us.

Apologies for repeating he reminds me of Lookman. Also I have never liked players who down tools and behave like he is doing - he is letting his club, team mates and himself down - do we need this at Everton?

In saying this there may be circumstances were conversations have taken place at Leeds and they have changed their mind and are trying to milk it - if not they have every right to tell us and the Gnonto to feck off.

The lad should just get on with it and play football.

Tick tock and still no striker!

Oliver, I'd be very glad to have Lookman if he hadn't acted like a sulky twat when with us. I wouldn't say no to a player like him right now, he scored 13 and assisted on 6 last season, mostly from the wing.

Oliver, I'd be very glad to have Lookman if he hadn't acted like a sulky twat when with us. I wouldn't say no to a player like him right now, he scored 13 and assisted on 6 last season, mostly from the wing.

I really can't understand why we are still after Gnonto. Dwight McNeill has been really good since Dyche took over. We have signed Danjuma who appears to play his best football on the left wing. We have now got Jack Harrison in who can play on the left or right. We have Iwobi and Ashley Young who also can play in that position and Demarai Grey is still an Everton player. How many options do we need on the left wing. I'd hate to be a young left winger trying to make a breakthrough at Everton. All efforts and available money should go into a goal scoring centre forward.

Steve,
Serie A and the rest nowhere near as competitive as the PL.
Undoubted skill, but just not consistent and never worked hard with us or Leicester - like Gray !

I don't disagree Oliver.

If rumours are to be believed that we are looking to pay hard cash for Gnonto and probably a striker on an expensive loan with obligation to buy I wonder if we should really be looking to kill two birds with one stone and just get Richy back.

Ah, now you're talking - what a lift for everyone that would be, but its not going to happen.
We had forty five million to spend ( including wages) plus player sales ( within reason ).
So maybe half that gone already.
The potential Gray sale to Fulham is important so we have an extra few bob - that's my take on it all.

Can’t see Richy wanting to come back. Italy far more likely. Similarly with Palmer. He will want a top six club if he goes and City would want about £50m.

There's a few places saying we're in advanced talks with Che Adams now, for fuck's sake. The lad has a worse record than Maupay.

Is Richy coming back so pie in the sky Oliver? It's a long shot I admit but indulge me a moment.

They aren't keen on him, he is reported to be unhappy. Reports leaked by other players recently that he is always talking up EFC and how special the place is.

I don't know how much we have to spend but if there is £25M say (buying Gnonto and paying an expensive loan for a good striker will cost us that now). I also don't know how much Spurs still owe on the Richy deal but maybe Levy will take us wiping that debt and a knock down fee?

Don't forget we can probably get £20M for Gray and Holgate, if we play our cards right maybe we shift one of the holy trinity as well? Richy wants regular 1st team action right now for consideration for the national team.

We buy Richy we don't need to buy a winger and a striker. I wish. Sigh.

Holgate won't fetch much, last year of his contract I would imagine he will only go on loan so he's a free agent come the end of the season.
Reports are we are looking for £10 million for Gray, if Fulham are prepared to pay this somebody will have played a blinder!

Mal (37) - You reckon we could get Cole Palmer for £25 million? We couldn’t get his standing foot for that. When Anthony Gordon gets sold for £40 million then Cole Palmer is more than likely going to cost £40+ million.

Andrew #57. I know he would cost a lot more than we can afford, and I doubt that city will loan or sell him to us, but Palmer is exactly the type of player we need.

Getting Gnonto would also solve the striker problem.

I hope Everton keep after gnoto like a jack Russell I think he could be worth the chase, thought not convinced about Adams,
My concern is will Calverton Lewis play every game ? I think not.
I would like someone to buy maupay but I feel we are stuck with him, I would prefer to play someone like dobbin every day before
maupay. Coyb.

He has put a transfer request in finally so things should get moving now. This is why we are after Adams as all our budget is going here I think.

He could have put in a transfer request at any time in the last few weeks or is it months.

I suspect he has done so now, because Spurs are waiting in the wings and I think that's where he'll end up.

How would getting Gnonto solve our striker problem Pat?

I’m not sure that I like Gnonto’s attitude but he’s going to be a good player - a very good player. Winger he may be but a guy that will cut in and score goals. He’s exactly the sort of young, dynamic player that we should be going for. As for his coming on at Everton and not impressing, we’ll I thought Leeds become instantly more dangerous when he did.

So the lad has liked photos of himself in an Everton kit, refused to play and handed in a transfer request and agreed personal terms two weeks ago. You just know he'll end up at Spurs now!

On a serious note, he's rapid, strong for his size, good dribbler and with a full first year under his belt in the Premier League his numbers should improve on last season. I hope we get him.

Maybe not in the same league, but Andrej Kanchelskis was a winger so what is the problem with Gnonto

I'd take us signing Gnonto and Adams and selling Cannon and Gray. I think that would improve us.

We need to recoup about £20 million for those two though; otherwise, we're getting our pants pulled down again!!

This is a significant development, submitting a transfer request affects nothing contractually, but I think this gesture puts Gnonoto’s future at Leeds firmly past the point of no return.

There have been rumours that Leeds owners wanted to give him a new contract with a release clause. This is Gnonto dismissing that, and saying he is finished.

I expect we will sign him for something like 27.5m over the coming days. Too much for what he has shown so far, but a fee that both sides will walk away from thinking they’ve begrudgingly achieved something.

Since we were rumoured to be interested I’ve been hoping it would happen . If we sign Gnonto and get in Adams I’d say that’s good business considering the tight finances.

It’s now down to Kevin Thelwell to go the extra mile and be properly backed to land an achievable major target who wants to play for our magical club.

I like Gnonto a lot but I'm not convinced he's done enough yet to merit spending £25M+.

I remember when we had our sights set on Sigurdsson and ending up paying about £15M more than he was worth.

We have to be resourceful and smart enough to walk away from players if we're being ripped off. Sulemana is probably of a similar level and available on loan which might leave cash to sign Ekitike!

Having said that I would be excited if we got Gnonto. He reminds me more of Rooney than Lookman, I can see why Leeds wanna keep him.

Gnonto is a definite star in the making (barring serious injury).

But his character leaves me cold. If he'll strike with Leeds then he'll strike with Everton too.

Seems a proper mercenary.

Ben @70,

But I thought the fan base have been crying out for a striker?

To be or Gnonto be, that is the question.

Barry #71,

Mate, I'm not suggesting signing Gnonto above getting a striker - it's by far the most important position that we need filled.

But if we could get someone that can create chances for said striker + weigh in with a few important goals himself then you'd have to say yes to that, right?

Leeds seem to be holding firm that they're not selling so I think (sadly) we should move on from Gnonto.

Mike!

Another offer about to be submitted according to the Bobble. Probably going to take up to £30m incl add ons to get this done. It’s starting to feel over the top, I like the player a lot but he’s still in the potential zone.

Like when Leeds came to Goodison last season he was mostly ineffective when I was expecting him to be dangerous that day. I can’t remember fully but may have been Seamus who had the measure of him all game and left him inert and frustrated.

The pursuit now has taken a life of its own and Gnonto has been given mythical qualities. This weekend Everton need to get back control of our own destiny.

Offer the maximum we will go to and if they still won’t do business have the courage to walk away and focus on bringing the best possible striker to the club whilst there is still realistic time to act diligently. (Which is what we should be doing anyway)

This seems like a desperate 'winner takes all' role of the dice by Everton. Putting all our transfer kitty on one player rather than hedging our bets on multiple 'safe' options. Unless there is a plan to sell all of Gray, Iwobi, Holgate and Maupay to pay for this transfer.

A forward line of: DCL, Che Adams, Chermiti, Gnonto, Danjuma, Harrison, McNeil - would give Dyche a lot of genuine goal threats. I would say that we would need another creative midfielder - someone like Donny Van de Beek who should be available for a reasonable price.

Tony # 75…………spot on, offer what we think he’s worth otherwise walk away. We don’t want another Siggy fiasco where in effect, we were bidding against ourselves until the bid stopped at £45M.

As a side issue, I see that the “Reliable” Fabrizio Romano is saying Salad is off to Saudi Arabia to join Al Ittihad, with medical completed and all documents waiting to be signed on a three year deal. This surely can’t be true, though be great if it was.

Leeds will want this sorting.

Last night, they had 2 missing on the bench and two keepers. They are down to the bones and need cash not unhappy players.

Don't over pay for the lad or look to offer them players on loan - cannon, Holgate, Dobbin.

If we’re so desperate to sign him why not throw Holgate in as part of a swop surely that would suit both parties better than all this crap coming out from both sides ?

Everton pursuing bright, young Italian teenager who's already played for Italy hmmm . can't say I'm too KEAN on that!

It's an old small club ploy to put in fake bids for players and frame it in such a way that the other club would never accept it (unless it's us of course). Then make announcements that they tried their best to get top players in when the deadline passes and the new Rondon is trundled out.

Pure Kenwright.

I can't imagine that Gnonto will last more than one strop with Dyche in charge anyway. For me at £25 million he's not that big an improvement on Mills, who wouldn't have cost a penny, has a better temperament and is more suited to the way we want to play.

I can imagine what Nick Page will say when he finds out we are now in for some Balde Mama.

El Bilal Toure, that we chased for weeks before he opted for Atalanta, will be out for several months, and possibly the season, following ruptured tendons, with Atalanta now exploring the possibility of signing Gnonto.

Rob,

He was out since March too with a thigh or hamstring I think. We've dodged a bullet, even a howitzer, here by failing to sign him.

Gnonto would be a great signing for us but still think he should be secondary to signing the best striker we can. Starting to feel like the clock is ticking now, but they know what they're doing, right?

John # 81, Gnonto left Inter to get first team football at 16/17, won a title in Switzerland, being Zurich's key player at 18, played a full season in the Premier League, has over 100 first team games under his belt in professional football, has been in the Italy youth international system at all age groups since U16 and now has 12 full caps for Italy at just 19.

Mills, a month older than Gnonto, has managed to play just 3 league games in his entire career in the third tier for Oxford – and has no caps for England at any youth level.

I am hopeful that Mills has a really good season for Oxford and comes back in contention for a place in the squad – but he's a million miles behind Gnonto.

Returned to first team training. May be time to move on.