Leeds United are staring at relegation but Elland Road insiders believe Wilfried Gnonto could be the man to save them .
The Italian winger, signed for just £3.8m from Zurich in 2022 , has been underused this season. Now Graham Smyth reckons he “could be massive” for the run-in .
THE ATTACKING CRISIS
Let’s be honest, Leeds can’t score. Lukas Nmecha leads the 2026 charts with THREE goals in all competitions . Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert Lewin have two each . Joel Piroe and Gnonto? One apiece . Dan James: zero .
Against Sunderland and Manchester City, they created decent openings but nobody could finish. Those defeats could prove costly.
The January window was a disaster. Facundo Buonanotte has flopped after arriving as a top target. Missing out on Jorgen Strand Larsen hurt, but not having alternatives lined up was criminal .
Now Okafor’s injured just when he was finding form. The squad looks threadbare.
GNONTO’S TIME?
Smyth thinks the solution is already at Elland Road.
“I think Gnonto could be important, I think Willy Gnonto could be massive, and it’s because he’s capable of coming up with something,” he said on the Inside Elland Road podcast.
“He’s capable of looking at compact defence and mixing it up, jinking inside and unleashing an absolute cannon of a shot. I like the way he plays little quick one twos to get into the area, tries to get to the byline, and I like the fact that he can look up and curl in a peach of a ball.”
That’s the Gnonto we saw in flashes, direct, fearless, capable of the unexpected. He’s barely featured this season, but with the goals drying up, Daniel Farke has to consider him.
THE VERDICT
Leeds have nine games to save their season. The attack is misfiring. The January signings aren’t delivering. The fans are restless.
Gnonto cost £3.8m. He’s 22. He’s got talent. If Farke unleashes him now, he could be the difference between the Championship and Premier League survival.
Sometimes the answer is already in the building.
