After relegation to the Championship, he thinks about leaving Leeds, but in the meantime he’s concentrating on the Under-21 European Championship: a great performance is needed tomorrow evening to help the Azzurri beat Norway and go through
The Premier made it big. And it’s not a paradox given his small stature: against Switzerland he was even scoring the fifth goal of his career with his head… Certainly not the specialty of the house, but it makes us understand the mental state to which the experience has led him with Leeds. Tomorrow evening Willy Gnonto is called to another test as leader to push Nicolato’s Azzurrini towards the quarter-finals in the Under 21 European Championship, in a home or away match against Norway at the Cluj Arena.
HELLO LEEDS
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Leeds’ relegation to the Championship inevitably changed Willy Gnonto’s future, who would remain with the club still in the Premier League. In recent months, his name has been circulating among insiders, putting him at the top of the wish list of some clubs. Juventus moved to Italy some time ago, expressing interest in the native of Verbania, especially in the event of the departure of Federico Chiesa: their fate could be closely linked. But Inter are also at the window, who have asked for information with the idea of bringing him back to Pinetina under certain conditions. After the Nerazzurri club lost him in 2020 by choice of the boy who had accepted, at the age of 16, the court of Zurich to grow without pressure. He has come a long way since then. Gnonto at Inter could be a possibility for the last period of the transfer market, when the Nerazzurri will have hit what are currently considered priorities (Frattesi and Lukaku) and above all when Correa will have been sold (on loan or outright). To date, profiles with different characteristics are being sought in viale della Liberazione for the replacement of Tucu (above all Balogun from Arsenal), but Willy has his knowledge of the environment since he wore the Inter youth shirt of all categories, up to the Under-17: it would be a real romantic return.
question of form
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The first thought that arises is linked to the form used by both Simone Inzaghi and Massimiliano Allegri: the 3-5-2. Willy’s characteristics are pure winger: he loves jumping the man creating numerical superiority both on the right and on the left, but he can make the difference even from inside the field. It is no coincidence that Paolo Nicolato in the U21 European Championship showed off Gnonto’s qualities even alongside a role striker, without however ever losing the speed which is the trump card of his repertoire. Therefore, the player would adapt to play alongside Vlahovic, Milik or Kean in Juventus. In Inter, however, the situation would change, because the native of Verbania would be the substitute – albeit with different characteristics – for Lautaro, to be joined by Marcus Thuram and/or Lukaku.
concrete moves
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The teams that have made concrete moves, however, are foreign: Everton and Freiburg have established the first relations with Leeds, asking for information on the player. The English are asking for between 15 and 20 million to take him away from Leeds after just one season. Freiburg was already on the trail of the former Inter player last summer, but then nothing more came of it. While for Willy, the Toffies would represent continuity with the Premier League, in a championship that he knows where the fans have taken him very much to heart. And last January he also told us his secret with the fans: “I’ve become an idol here (in Leeds, ed) perhaps due to the fact that whatever the result, I try to give my best and always put character and grit. Sometimes even too much.”
two years non-stop
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– Zurich, Leeds, senior national team and now with the Azzurrini. Willy’s season never stopped, indeed it never ended compared to the previous one because football has always been at the center of his thoughts. But be careful, without forgetting the more serious things in life: between the Swiss Super League triumph with Zurich, the first goal in the national team against Germany and the Premier League last summer, there was a middle school diploma obtained at the Marco Pantani Professional Sports High School in Busto Arsizio. The exams in Gnonto’s life therefore never end: it doesn’t matter if he is faced with Roberto Mancini, the president of the commission or Guardiola because his commitment will always be maximum. Maturity and then headlong new retreat with Zurich to prepare for the preliminary round of the Champions League and Europa League, before the transfer to England. “I’m a boy who really likes football, so both on and off the pitch I always try to inform myself and learn as much as possible” Willy told us last January and it’s the secret why everyone in Leeds loves him. 28 games with 4 goals (one for Di Canio and one at Old Trafford, not bad) and 4 assists, many ups and downs that helped him form. But now it’s time to take flight with a new adventure.
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