Leeds United opted to sanction a loan exit for winger Wilfried Gnonto on deadline day as he sealed a season-long loan move to Italian outfit Fiorentina.
The Whites decided to allow him to complete a temporary exit to Italy because they were able to agree a deal to sign Jean-Matteo Bahoya on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Daniel Farke wanted to bolster his attacking options before sanctioning a move for the former Italy U21 international, with Bahoya coming in to provide depth in the wide areas.
Fiorentina also have an option to sign Gnonto permanently for a fee in the region of £18m, should they want to keep him at the end of the season, which means that the forward’s career at Elland Road could already be over.
How Wilfried Gnonto’s career at Leeds unravelled
The 22-year-old attacker was once a key player for Farke when the Whites were competing for promotion out of the Championship in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns.
Gnonto played an important role in both of those seasons and contributed with 19 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in the title-winning campaign for the German head coach.
|
Gnonto (Championship) |
23/24 |
24/25 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
36 |
43 |
|
Starts |
19 |
26 |
|
xG |
5.36 |
8.24 |
|
Goals |
8 |
9 |
|
Big chances created |
5 |
10 |
|
Assists |
2 |
6 |
Unfortunately, though, the step-up to the Premier League proved to be too difficult for the Italian attacker to handle, as he struggled in the top-flight last term.
The former Inter prospect failed to score any goals and only provided one assist in 24 appearances in the division in the 2025/26 campaign, only starting four times in total.
He did not deliver enough quality at the top end of the pitch to prove himself to be up to the level of the Premier League, which ultimately led to Farke deciding to replace him at the end of the summer transfer window this year.
Gnonto’s story is a tale of caution for the rest of the current first-team squad because it shows how quickly a player can go from being a star to an outcast.
One of the players currently in danger of following the Italian’s footsteps is USA international Brenden Aaronson, who is struggling for form at the top end of the pitch at the moment.
The 25-year-old has been a key figure for Farke in the number ten role since he returned to the club in 2024 to play a role in their title-winning campaign, starting 43 times in the Championship that term.
There were question marks over his ability to make the jump up to the Premier League, but he scored four goals and provided three assists in the first 20 games of last season.
Unfortunately, the American playmaker has reverted to the form that he showed in his first spell in the Premier League since his purple patch in the first-half of last term.
Aaronson scored one goal and assisted three goals in 36 matches in the division in the 2022/23 campaign, as the Whites were relegated, and his current form is at that same level.
|
26/27 Premier League |
Brenden Aaronson |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
3 |
|
xG |
0.01 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
|
Successful crosses |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Duel success rate |
40% |
He has yet to even create a single chance for his teammates in the first three matches of the current Premier League season, and is on a run of ten matches without an assist in all competitions for the club.
That run is even worse when it comes to goals. He has failed to score in each of his last 25 competitive appearances for the West Yorkshire outfit in all competitions, stretching back to January.
Aaronson’s last goals for the club came in a 4-3 defeat to Newcastle United in January, as he struck twice at St. James’ Park, which speaks to his lack of impact in front of goal over the past eight months.
The attacking midfielder was dropped to the bench for the 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, and is now facing further competition for his place with the arrival of Bahoya.
Unless he can turn his form around and start to deliver more quality at the top end of the pitch, Aaronson could end up becoming the next Gnonto at Elland Road because his future could become uncertain if he consistently fails to make an impact.
