In his first season at the helm, Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has had to deal with some drama surrounding centre-back Charlie Cresswell, who was dropped from the squad after expressing his frustration with his position in the pecking order. The duo have since held fresh talks, paving the way for Cresswell to return to the fold in recent weeks.
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Last summer, there was similar tension behind the scenes involving Wilfried Gnonto, who submitted a transfer request and withdrew himself from contention to try to force through a move to Everton. The Toffees made three bids for his services, the last of which was worth £25.7m, but Leeds held firm throughout the saga.
Gnonto subsequently repaired his relationship with Farke by issuing an apology, but he was used sparingly in the first half of the campaign, starting just four Championship matches between the end of the transfer window and the turn of the year.
It seemed as if we may be in for a repeat of the summer's events in January, but instead, Fabrizio Romano has reported that Leeds are getting "closer" to extending the Italian's contract. The club's "priority" is to tie down the young forward, and they're now in the "final" stages of that process.
Crook surprised by Gnonto news
Speaking to GiveMeSport, TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook seemed baffled by the developments around Gnonto and suggested that the mid-season window hadn't panned out in the manner that Leeds had expected.
He said: "I think they were expecting some offers for Wilfried Gnonto in the January transfer window but that didn't materialise. It's a strange one because they fought so hard to keep him and he fought so hard to leave at the beginning of the season. He even went on strike and now he can't get in the team. So it's an odd one. But yeah, I do expect him to stay which probably means [striker is] not a priority position anymore."
Gnonto is reminding Farke what he can do
While Gnonto's imminent extension is definitely a surprise, it's also a welcome development for Leeds. In the past couple of games, the 20-year-old has offered a timely reminder of his qualities.
For only the fourth time since the start of October, he was given the chance to start in the FA Cup tie against Plymouth last month, and he would keep his place for the subsequent league game against Bristol City. Having repaid Farke's faith by scoring the winner at Ashton Gate, he made it three starts in a row in the midweek FA Cup replay, and got the ball rolling in an eventual 4-1 win.
Minutes
71
Goals
1
Touches
58
Passes
33/40
Crosses attempted
5
Duels won
5/9
Fouls drawn
4
A far cry from his rebellion in the summer, Gnonto is now showing a real determination behind the scenes in the eyes of Farke: "Willie is working hard and we wanted to show that we back him and trust him, to give him a chance to come into his rhythm."
He should without doubt be given the opportunity to to continue his spell in the XI when Leeds host Rotherham on Saturday afternoon and go in search of a sixth win on the bounce.
