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‘In Gnonto’s head’: Phil Hay shares what Wilfried Gnonto is really thinking after refusing to play for Leeds
Wilfried Gnonto has gone on strike at Leeds.
The Whites have issued a about Gnonto’s refusal to play against Birmingham City at the weekend, and the 19-year-old is now at the centre of a huge saga.
It’s hard to wrap your head around this one. This is a teenager trying to hold one of the biggest clubs in England to ransom, and, in all honesty, it’s tough to understand why such a young player would tarnish his reputation in this way.
As ever, Phil Hay has the scoop on what Gnonto is thinking, and according to the journalist, the attacker has gone on strike because he wants to play top-level football this season in order to get into the Euros squad with Italy come the end of the season.
Euros on Gnonto’s mind
Hay shared the thinking behind Gnonto’s decision on .
“From what I’m told, Everton’s valuation has been just below £20m, something like £18m, and it’s considerably less than what Leeds would want. While they say he won’t be sold, it’s the usual situation of every player having their price. But Gnonto’s price will have to be really high for them to sell him,” Hay said.
“The optics would look really bad for them if he goes for a low fee, I think it needs to be a fee that everyone including the fanbase can say well that makes total sense. Minus anybody meeting the valuation, it’s a bit of a stand-off and it’s really difficult to see how this is going to work itself out.
“Common sense tells you that players usually get what they want, but I do actually think that if the valuation doesn’t go high enough then the club’s ownership could keep him and show they are not going to be dictated by a 19-year-old.
“My understanding is that in Gnonto’s head he feels that if he’s going to make the Euros for Italy next summer he needs to be playing top-level football, and playing in the Championship won’t do that for him, it’s incredibly difficult to manage.”
Bad move
Look, we can understand the thinking behind Gnonto wanting to go to the Euros next summer, but is it really worth torching your reputation to give yourself an outside chance of playing in the Euros?
Going on strike is one of the most unprofessional things a player can do, and this is what Gnonto will be remembered for going forwards. Other clubs won’t like the look of this, nor will the Italy manager – whoever that may be now that Roberto Mancini has left.
At the age of just 19, Gnonto has countless chances to play in these major tournaments with Italy, and he shouldn’t be rushing into anything that will damage his career later down the line.