Leeds United have allowed a host of first-team players to move on from Elland Road this summer but are trying to keep hold of Wilfried Gnonto.
Who has left Leeds this summer?
Robin Koch, Brenden Aaronson, Max Wober, Marc Roca, and Rasmus Kristensen have all left the club on loan deals until the end of the 2023/24
campaign.
Rodrigo, Tyler Roberts, Joel Robles, and Adam Forshaw have also departed the Yorkshire-based outfit either on permanent or free transfers.
However, they are not prepared to let Gnonto leave without a fight. The Italy international was absent for the League Cup win over Shrewsbury after
he asked to be left out of the squad.
He is now back in training and is expected to be with the team for the Championship clash with Birmingham City, with The Athletic’s Phil
Hay reporting that the club are resisting the temptation to cash in on him.
If Leeds are able to keep hold of the talented youngster, Daniel Farke could land Gnonto a dream partner in attack by signing reported transfer
target Joel Pohjanpalo, who reportedly has a release clause of €4m (£3.4m).
How good is Joel Pohjanpalo?
The Venezia centre-forward is coming off the back of an impressive campaign in Serie B and could be the ideal player to play alongside the Italian
dynamo this season.
Pohjanpalo is a physically imposing striker who “creates problems” – as per journalist Josh Bunting – for defenders with his strength, which could
allow him to complement Gnonto as the 19-year-old ace is not a towering attacker who can bully the opposition.
Last season, the teenage wizard won 0.3 aerial battles per game across the Premier League campaign and lost a whopping 69% of his duels in the air.
Whereas, the Finland international won 2.9 aerial contests per match for Venezia and came out on top in 51% of that type of physical duel, which
shows that the 28-year-old brute is strong in the air and capable of holding off opposition defenders to win flick-ons and hold the ball up.
This means that Pohjanpalo could be the focal point of Farke’s attack and this would allow Gnonto to use his sharpness and pace to make things
happen around the ex-Bayer Leverkusen forward.
The current Leeds attacker ranked within the top 13% of his positional peers for progressive carries per 90 in the Premier League last season. This
suggests that the talented hotshot excels at picking up the ball in deep positions to drive the team up the pitch.
He would, therefore, be suited to a deeper role – possibly as a number ten – behind Pohjanpalo to utilise their respective strengths in the best possible
way as an exciting pairing at the top end of the pitch.
Pohjanpalo could also be a fantastic addition to the squad as he is a proven goalscorer. The Finnish marksman racked up 19 goals in 37 Serie B
matches for Venezia last term, which is six more than any Whites player managed throughout the 2022/23 top-flight campaign.
Therefore, the reported Leeds target could improve Farke’s options in attack and provide him with the perfect foil for Gnonto, if the club can keep
hold of the ex-Inter prodigy.
Leeds: Gus Hamer would be an instant Adams upgrade
The Whites could secure an instant upgrade to their outbound midfield star.
Leeds United have been dealt some recent frustrating news, but the money gained from such an outgoing could prove pivotal not just in replacing
him, but bolstering the rest of the squad too…
Is Gus Hamer joining Leeds United?
The Whites were rocked earlier today when news broke suggesting that Tyler Adams’ release clause had been met by Premier League giants Chelsea.
With the free-spending west London outfit set to secure another coup, it will be at the huge detriment of Daniel Farke, who likely hoped that he could
build his all-action philosophy for the campaign around the tough-tackling USA international.
However, to take the positives from such a dire situation, the report also denotes a £20m fee set to be earned. This could go a long way, not least
by finalising their interest in Coventry City’s Gus Hamer, who is reportedly available for just £12m this summer.
In one fell swoop, the Yorkshire outfit could be set to lose their star man, rake in big funds, and invest in a new ace set to offer an immediate upgrade.
How good is Gus Hamer?
Despite having suffered from injuries in key moments, Adams still starred amidst what was a miserable campaign for the Elland Roud outfit.
Faltering to a 19th-placed finish, they conceded the most goals in the entire Premier League with 78 and cycled through three different managers
before falling to the drop.
However, the 24-year-old did maintain a 6.98 average rating throughout, buoyed by 82% pass accuracy alongside one key pass, 1.5 interceptions, one
clearance and 3.7 tackles per game, via Sofascore. Only Joao Palhinha recorded more tackles per game than him, and of those who featured five or
more times in the league, Adams was Leeds’ highest-rated player.
It is therefore no surprise to see why a top club craves his services, as he did showcase an ability to shine despite the lack of talent surrounding him.
Saying that, the former RB Leipzig star is not wholly irreplaceable, no matter how frustrating his exit might prove to be.
Especially if he were to be replaced with Hamer, who although offers a far less defensive play style, would provide unimaginable quality for
the Championship level.
His presence could actually prove to be far more impactful than Adams’ could have ever been in the second-tier.
His starring display in Coventry’s opening-day loss to Leicester City helps emphasise this, as he carried on from last season’s triumphs to shine yet
again.
The 26-year-old machine posted an 8.4 rating, forging three big chances, assisting once and making a mammoth five key passes, via Sofascore – if not
for the goalscoring exploits of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, there would have been nobody on the pitch even close to his level.
What makes this even more impressive is the fact that he somewhat maintained these levels throughout the 2021/22 season, as the Sky Blues made
their way to the play-off final, falling at the final hurdle.
Throughout that campaign he would post a 7.35 average rating, recording 19 goal contributions as well as 1.8 key passes and 2.6 tackles per game,
via Sofascore.
It is no surprise to see both his character and quality lauded by teammate Marko Marosi:
“Gustavo is unbelievable. He is a funny guy as well and a great character”.
With a similar tough-tackling presence, combined with a talent that makes him one of the division’s top creators, this deal surely marks a no-brainer
for Farke seeking to instantly reinvest the incoming Adams money on his replacement.
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