Wilfried Gnonto - Fiorentina Loan

[Zurich White]

Be thankful that we cannot afford to buy anyone! https://motleedsnews.com/news/leeds-uni ... -ornstein/

Yeah, it's definitely all about the pennies now.

Zürich want money, Leeds haven't got it.

I still think it'll happen, but there'll be a hell of a contract, with add-ons and bonuses and...whatever...so that both sides think they've done OK.

Then it's up to Willy.

[Zurich White]

I think he is in a very tricky position. Note that Leicester didn't play Fofana at the weekend due to him wanting to move to Chelsea and that is usually the way when a player is moving - note it happened when Charlie Taylor refused toplay the last game of the season for us as he had agreed to a move and didn't want to risk injury.

The player is clearly a decent player, Mancini wouldn't have given him 4 caps for Italy if it wasn't the case.

It would appear to me that we see him as a potentially good player but initially as an U21 player hence why we don't want to pay too much, would imagine the £5m we paid City for Gyabi is our limit for non first team players.

Yup.

I'm still hearing 4 million, but it's not clear whether it's Pounds, Euros or Franks.
Well, we'll know by latest tomorrow.

[Zurich White]

Gnonto attended training today here, so that's a 'no' then.

TBH looking at his performances both on and off the pitch in the last few weeks, he is in no way ready, mentally at least, for the challenges of the PL.

Maybe in January?
If he hasn't totally imploded by then.

[Cjay]

Marsch openly said he isn't Premier League ready.

What an absolute shambles

[Jaydog]

Look what the man on the ground Zurich White says above.
Why are we panicking anyway. Most thought we wouldn’t bring a striker in so why don’t we just leave it, don’t want anymore dead wood

[Zurich White]

Well, he's coming.
I hope he sorts his head out and grows up a bit mentally, but he is a fine player.

[Jaydog]

Well, he's coming.
I hope he sorts his head out and grows up a bit mentally, but he is a fine player.

Well in that case, great

[Cjay]

Cheap atleast I suppose

Welcome Wilfried you poor sod

[Zurich White]

Well in that case, great

Deep breaths...

Plus Points...
He's a good player, and he's got great potential.
Depending on the fee ( £4m ) he should make some money as well for the Club.
With Leeds having almost no money to spend at least getting a fantastic prospect is something not to be taken too lightly.

Minus Points
He's not PL ready, and so it's a signing for the next seasons.
He has to sort his head out, which hopefully he can do now once the move is completed.

Something to consider...
He was a fantastic super-sub for Zurich last season. If he gets a few minutes in every other game til the World Cup he will not disappoint.
He is very direct, great feet, bags of talent, and he wants to come to Leeds.

[Rook]

What a complete and utter farce.

Leeds' deadline days have always been black comedy, but today takes the biscuit.

To Dan James, if you are reading this, i apologise for our boards behaviour.

I really do.

[Cjay]

[velo]

To Dan James, if you are reading this, i apologise for our boards behaviour.

I rated Dan, but I'm no Premiership manager unlike most on here

[Rook]

I rated Dan, but I'm no Premiership manager unlike most on here

Most of the 'Premiership managers' that exist on this forum don't seem like they've ever set foot in Elland Road.

The match day threads on this forum are poisonous.

[andrewjohnsmith]

I'm happy about this one. Great price. Italy international. Should do a Job for us and increase his value.

[weasel]

Chuffed to bits with this one - of all the strikers we were linked with recently he is the one I wanted. I see it as the perfect signing for where we are. We have 3 injury prone strikers competing for 1 starting position and now Gnonto comes into the mix - not sure of his injury record hopefully Zurich White can fill us in - he will get minutes without us having to over rely on him. He can play wing and up front so also gives us depth there too. His pace looks frightening and that makes him a great weapon to have late in games, especially if we are holding on to a lead as it gives us a great threat on the break.

The fee is low which is a big plus as if it doesn't work out we haven't lost much (less than half of what Bamba would have cost). He is at an age where he has his career ahead of him and if his attitude is good he will want to make a name for himself. I don't see his recent attitude at Zurich as a problem, likely after getting 4 caps for Italy he would have thought he would be starting more games for Zurich, plus as Zurich White has mentioned they have changed coach which can effect players. Up to Marsch now to put his arm round him and bring the best out of him.

Am presuming this was the reason we kept Dan James hanging on till the last moment as we needed 1 in before letting DJ go. Would hope we are getting some sort of loan fee for DJ which may even have coverd a large part of the Gnonto transfer fee.

Excellent transfer window

[Lumiukko]

My quick two penneth, reasonably happy with this. He's already a full Italy international, plenty of first team games for Zurich, has talent, and the fee is ok. Better Gnonto than Hwang for me. Hope that we still have Gakpo in our sights for January along with Wagner.

[whiteswan]

I rated Dan, but I'm no Premiership manager unlike most on here

No, you're a premier league referee aficiando

[andrewjohnsmith]

My quick two penneth, reasonably happy with this. He's already a full Italy international, plenty of first team games for Zurich, has talent, and the fee is ok. Better Gnonto than Hwang for me. Hope that we still have Gakpo in our sights for January along with Wagner.

Better Gnoto than Hwang
More likely we'll go back after Dieng

[Clueless Yank]

FCZ got a new trainer as well, Franco Foda, who is the exact opposite of Andre Breitenreiter, the trainer that got FCZ the Championship last season.

Breitenreiter had empathy, Foda has not. Enough said about that.

Key sentence, I hope doesn't get overlooked. Have to be careful about comparisons of course, but the obvious inference is that Jesse Marsch would be more similar to Breitenreiter so it's not crazy to think he could thrive again.

I like this signing a lot -- at worst, it's a 5M EUR bet that doesn't work out. At best, could be a real force in propelling the club forward.

[whiteswan]

Cheap atleast I suppose

Welcome Wilfried you poor sod

That's a below the belt post Cjay.

Calling our new player cheap and a poor sod.....

What's happened to you?

Not the Cjay I know from when you first appeared on MOT.....

....What an awful welcome for our latest player.