Inter Milan youngster Mattia Zanotti has revealed he is more than happy to follow in the footsteps of Leeds United star Wilfried Gnonto, by making his mark in Switzerland.
The defender has been speaking to Corriere del Ticino, detailing his career to date and how he’s received advice from the Leeds forward.
The 21-year-old is currently spending the season on loan at St Gallen, a move that has worked out well for him as he’s managed 28 appearances in the league, with two goals and four assists.
He joined the Swiss side on loan from Inter in the summer, with it seemingly made clear he was not a part of the Italian side’s immediate plans.
He’d been with them since he was a youngster but has only made three appearances, totalling 33 minutes, for the first team so far.
The Swiss Super League may seem an unlikely breeding ground for Italian talent but there is a precedent, with Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto the obvious, notable success.
He joined FC Zurich on a free transfer from Inter’s U19’s in July 2020 and made 74 appearances in the next two years, managing 12 goals and ten assists in that time before moving to Elland Road.
He’s now a regular for Italy and has starred in the Premier League as well, something it seems has led him to offer his advice to Zanotti.
“When the possibility of moving to San Gallo arose, I asked Gnonto, my teammate at Inter and in the national team, for some information,” he said.
“He reassured me, telling me that the Super League was the perfect step between the Italian Primavera category and the Serie A championship. He confirmed to me that he would have made the same choice again a hundred times. He wasn’t wrong.”
