Leeds United‘s Wilfried Gnonto says he didn’t hesitate to leave the Premier League side for Fiorentina in the summer window.
The Serie A side’s interest in the winger isn’t new and had tried signing him in January.
La Viola were then in the relegation battle while Gnonto finished the 2025/26 season at Leeds United.
On summer deadline day, the Italian club were successful in signing him from the Whites on loan with an option to buy. The decision to sign the 22-year-old came as a surprise as Fiorentina had signed another left winger, Alieu Njie, on loan from Torino.
Journalist Sandro Sabatini has questioned Fiorentina’s decision to sign the Leeds United owned player.
Gnonto on decision to leave Leeds United
On Tuesday, La Viola secured a 3-0 win over Pisa in the Coppa Italia, and the 22-year-old scored his first goal for the club.
After the match, he spoke to the reporters in the mixed zone and La Nazione have relayed his comments.
Wilfried Gnonto says he pushed to leave Leeds United after finding out about Fiorentina’s interest. He talks about when asked about his summer and how keen was he to join La Viola.
“I took it easy. As soon as I heard about Fiorentina, I did everything I could to be here,” he said.
“I needed something different; last season wasn’t the best for me. Being in Italy makes a bit of a difference in terms of the national team. Coming back was the right choice for me; it was easy to adapt; my teammates are all very open and welcomed me really well.”
Last season, Daneil Farke handed him 867 minutes from 29 matches, and the Italian had a goal and four assists.
Experience with Leeds United
Wilfried Gnonto left Italy when FC Zürich signed him from Inter Milan’s academy in 2020.
Two years later, the Swiss club sold him to the Premier League side. He managed 23 goals and 17 assists from 147 matches for Leeds United.
When asked about his experience abroad and how much did he miss Italy, Gnonto explained: “I didn’t mind not returning to Italy sooner, but it’s clear that I was born here and missed Italy in a certain sense.”
“There was no rush to return, but if Fiorentina calls you, it’s different. As an Italian, I know what this team represents in Italy and for the city of Florence. It’s an honour to be here. I grew in many ways abroad, first and foremost as a person, and I even got my driving license in a foreign country. I hope to bring these experiences here to Italy.”
Fiorentina have one league win after four matches this season and are 15th in the table.
On September 6th, La Viola parted ways with Fabio Grosso and a day later, reappointed Paolo Vanoli as their manager.
