Impressing at a young age for both FC Zürich and the Italy national team, Leeds United decided to take a late gamble on Wilfried Gnonto in the summer.
Still only 18, it seems the striker is being nurtured slowly by Jesse Marsch, as he has yet to make a first-team appearance for the Elland Road side.
However, his inclusion on the Leeds bench for the games against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace suggests he could be close to wearing his new club’s shirt for the first time at the top level, which is something both Italy fans and their national team manager, Roberto Mancini, will be wanting to see.
The former Manchester City boss has shown a lot of faith in the young forward, already capping him six times, which has been repaid with a goal against Germany in a 5-2 loss in the UEFA Nations League, and he’s waiting to see a bit more from Gnonto.
He told Tuttosport: “Gnonto is a young kid, and he’s only just arrived, so maybe he will need time to settle in.”
Despite playing a fair amount for Zürich and being included in a number of Italy line-ups, there’s no denying the step up to the Premier League was always going to be tough, and Marsch appears to be wary of that.
Much like his compatriot Gianluca Scamacca, who was included bit by bit by David Moyes at West Ham, Gnonto will only be used when deemed ready by Leeds and their staff.
