According to Phil Hay, Willy Gnonto only told Daniel Farke that he didn’t want to make the trip to face Birmingham City as the Leeds United bus was about to leave.
On Sunday 13 August, an Athletic writer stated on the outlet’s website that the Italian international had trained with “enough gusto” on Thursday and Friday after missing the Carabao Cup win over Shrewsbury on Wednesday, and that the manager intended to deploy him at St. Andrew’s on Saturday.
Hay reports that the 19-year-old is “expected to train alone for the time being” after telling Farke that “his head was still elsewhere and, if he got his way, so was his future.”
Everton have been leading the fight to recruit the forward for the whole of the summer, and they still want him despite winning the loan deal for Jack Harrison.
Gnonto missed the midweek game due to frustrations about not being allowed to leave, and the news that he would miss the trip to Birmingham on Friday night (11 August) prompted the club to issue a statement insisting that they would not sell him while calling it a “internal disciplinary matter.”
Bombshell
Players wishing to leave Elland Road this summer have become a depressingly common subject, but when compared to some who have already booked their getaway, Gnonto is less to blame for the relegation they wish to avoid.
However, it is plainly an uncomfortable situation for the manager to be unable to rely on a player who may otherwise be crucial at the last minute.
With Luis Sinisterra also missing from the matchday squad for Saturday’s 1-0 loss, Farke has made it clear that he only wants dedicated players and would not ask those who aren’t convinced to stay.
Following his belated appointment on 4 July, the former Norwich manager had the opportunity to make a pitch to stay at Elland Road, but now he must look ahead and create plans with players he knows are on board.
He’s been put in an impossible position as huge stars who had stayed all summer suddenly queue up to go while he battles to find replacements.
Injuries on top of a poor start to the Championship campaign have created a perfect storm, and while he would undoubtedly love to have the likes of Gnonto and Sinisterra in his side, it is difficult to see it happening for the time being with interests evidently elsewhere.
They shown their abilities in the opening day draw with Cardiff City, but the club is unable to stop the Colombian, Tyler Adams, and, most recently, Harrison from departing due to release clauses of different value.
The Whites are taking a hard stance with Gnonto because he has no exit clause, but nobody wins if he doesn’t play, so unless he can refocus on being a factor for Leeds United this season, he may still leave.
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