Leeds United made several loan exits during the summer as they looked to trim the squad and make room for their new arrivals.
Sebastiaan Bornauw, Lucas Perri and Joel Piroe all left on temporary deals during the final weeks of the window. Of that trio, Piroe was the only player Leeds did not directly replace with another signing.
Largie Ramazani was another late-window departure, with Leeds accepting a loan proposal from Burnley. He has already made an encouraging start to his spell at Turf Moor.
Wilfried Gnonto also left on loan, joining Fiorentina on deadline day after Leeds brought in Jean-Mateo Bahoya. The Italian club have an £18m option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.
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Leeds United star struggling at loan club
Wilfried Gnonto revealed that he was in tears when Leeds finally sanctioned his loan exit on the final day of the transfer window, as he really wanted to leave Elland Road.
The winger is looking forward to rekindling his career at Fiorentina. However, the manager who signed him was sacked days after his arrival earlier this month,
He has already scored for Fiorentina in a 3-0 Coppa Italia win over Pisa, but he has yet to make an impact in Serie A.
Gnonto has made three Serie A appearances off the bench, including a 10-minute cameo in Fiorentina’s 1-1 draw against Napoli at home on Sunday.
He came on again but didn’t do enough to suggest he’ll be starting a league game for Fiorentina anytime soon.
The winger has the next three weeks to prove to new Fiorentina boss Paolo Vanoli that he deserves a chance in the starting eleven after the international break.
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Gnonto likely to return to Leeds next summer
The financial gap between the Premier League and Serie A becomes especially clear when you look at transfer spending. English clubs splashed out around £3.56bn this summer, while spending across Italy’s top flight remained below £850m.
That difference matters for a club such as Fiorentina. A mid-table Premier League side can often absorb an £18m transfer relatively comfortably, whereas an Italian club operating with tighter financial constraints has to be far more selective with its spending.
For Fiorentina, therefore, £18m represents a significant investment. They are unlikely to trigger that option unless Gnonto convinces them that he can become an important player and make a genuine difference to their attack.
The first challenge for the Leeds winger is establishing himself as a regular starter. He will then need to produce consistently in front of goal and contribute enough creatively to convince Fiorentina that spending £18m on a permanent deal makes sense.
Even if the Italians decide to keep him, Leeds may not receive the full amount. Fiorentina could look to negotiate a lower fee next summer.
For now, Leeds have no guarantee that Gnonto’s loan will turn into an £18m sale. If he fails to make the required impact in Serie A, a return to Elland Road remains a very real possibility.
