With the 2025/26 campaign now finished and Premier League safety secured, Leeds United have already turned their attention towards the summer transfer window.
Daniel Farke admitted after the defeat to West Ham United that he is feeling exhausted and plans to take a short break over the next few days. Despite that, work behind the scenes is already ongoing as Leeds push ahead with plans to strengthen the squad.
The club are targeting improvements in several positions, intending to add both greater depth and more quality to the starting eleven ahead of next season.
However, Leeds also need to sell players to balance their books, and one player may have played his last game for the Whites when he came on for 20-odd minutes in the second half at West Ham.
Wilfried Gnonto may have played his last game for Leeds amid talks with Freiburg
The Italian winger came on in the second half against Brighton at Elland Road in the final home game of the season to bid his farewell to the supporters.
He dropped the strongest hint after the Brighton game that he is on his way out of Leeds, and he came on against West Ham at the London Stadium for the final 20-odd minutes.
It is likely to be Gnonto’s final appearance for Leeds, as there are already talks underway for him to move on from Elland Road in the summer window.
Bundesliga club and Europa League finalists Freiburg are interested in the winger and are pushing to sign the Italian from Leeds in the upcoming window.
Leeds would prefer to sell him, but are likely to open to a loan-to-buy deal to allow Gnonto to leave Elland Road in the upcoming transfer window.
He has been a bit-part player in the Leeds squad this season and has been left frustrated by his lack of regular minutes.
The Italian needs to move away from Leeds
Once Daniel Farke changed Leeds United’s system midway through the season, it became obvious that Wilfried Gnonto no longer naturally suited the setup.
The Italian continued to feature regularly in cup matches, but in the Premier League, he was largely limited to appearances off the bench as an impact substitute.
Farke also prefers to stick with a settled starting XI, and since the tactical switch, Gnonto has rarely looked like a first-choice option.
The winger attracted significant interest during the January transfer window, although he ultimately remained at Elland Road. Even so, a summer exit now feels increasingly possible.
Leeds will likely hope to secure a sizeable transfer fee for Gnonto and use those funds to strengthen the squad ahead of next season.
