West Ham and Wolves should be on red alert to Leeds United's Harry Wilson deal | OneFootball

West Ham and Wolves must look to seal a deal for Leeds United's Wilfried Gnonto after the Whites completed the signing of Harry Wilson.

West Ham and Wolves are back in the Championship, and the aim for both clubs is to win promotion at the first attempt.

The Hammers had been in the Premier League since 2012, whilst Wolves were relegated after eight straight years in the top flight, so they both have a lot of high profile players by Championship standards.

Of course, some departures are on the cards, but West Ham’s sale of Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham for £85m shows the sort of money that can be raised.

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As a result, the Hammers are likely to be the biggest spenders in the league, and Wolves may not be far behind, when the likes of Ladislav Krejci and Joao Gomes move on, as expected.

West Ham and Wolves must push to sign Wilfried Gnonto

The knock-on effect of those sales, combined with parachute payments and the size of the clubs, means West Ham and Wolves can be very attractive options to players.

And, one individual who could benefit from joining either club is Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto.

The 22-year-old was a bright spot for the Whites in the Premier League when he joined from Zurich in 2022/23, but it was a disappointing year overall for the club, as they were relegated.

During the subsequent two years in the Championship, Gnonto featured regularly for Leeds, even if he didn’t start as many games as he would’ve wanted, but the Italian did manage 17 goals and nine assists over those two years, which included helping the Yorkshire outfit to promotion.

However, the previous season was tougher for Gnonto, as he made just 23 appearances for Leeds in the Premier League, with the vast majority coming from the bench.

Therefore, a summer exit always felt inevitable, but Leeds’ capture of Harry Wilson has just reinforced that Gnonto needs to secure a switch in this window for the sake of his career.

Wilfried Gnonto could flourish in the Championship once again

If Gnonto is available, there would be plenty of interest in his signature, but, given his circumstances, the attacker needs to prioritise clubs where he would play, which brings it back to West Ham and Wolves.

Firstly, with the Hammers, it’s widely expected that Crysencio Summerville will leave, and, even if Jarrod Bowen remains part of Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad, they need a direct, quick winger.

It’s a similar story at Wolves. Rafiki Said is poised to link up with Cesar Peixoto’s squad, but there is still a real lack of pace in the final third, and, on paper, Gnonto would look like a better signing than the Standard Liege man.

Some may point to Gnonto’s struggles in recent years, but it’s important to remember just how young he is.

The ex-Inter academy player is only 22, so he still has so much room to develop, and the Championship is a great way for him to get regular game time.

At his best, Gnonto is capable of playing at the highest level. He has already shown his quality on occasions in the Premier League, and he has won 13 caps for Italy, so this is a player with enormous talent.

With his speed, close control and ability to beat his man, Gnonto is a joy to watch in full-flight, and his challenge is to get back to that level.

But, he is clearly at a critical point in his career, and he will need a manager and environment that will allow him time to get back to his best, and rediscover his confidence and love for the game, which made him so dangerous in the past.

So, joining either West Ham or Wolves, who will expect to dominate games, could be the ideal platform for Gnonto as he looks to get his career back on track, and he would certainly be a huge asset to anyone chasing promotion from the Championship.