Aston Villa are still keen on signing Leeds United youngster Wilfried Gnonto this summer, but Everton appear to be ahead of them in the race.
What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?
The Villans had such an enjoyable second-half of last season, excelling with Unai Emery at the helm and eventually finishing seventh in the Premier League, qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League in the process. It was a run of form that few saw coming, but they are now in a position where they can improve even further this summer.
Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres have already completed exciting-looking moves to Villa Park, which has the potential to make Emery's team more formidable, but it would be a big surprise if their spending stopped there.
Another player who has been linked with a summer move to the club is Gnonto, who caught the eye for Leeds last term, standing out as a rare spark in an otherwise confidence-sapping campaign for the Whites. The young Italian scored twice and got four assists in the league, and was arguably one of the few players at Elland Road who looked like providing some attacking magic during games.
Now, a new update has emerged regarding the 19-year-old's future, with Villa still in the mix to sign him, but certainly not having things their own way.
Who is signing Wilfried Gnonto?
According to Sport Mediaset [via Sport Witness], Gnonto has the option to join either Villa or Everton this summer, with an exit from Leeds expected due to their relegation to the Championship.
It is stated that the Villans will have to "exceed" the Blues' bid for the winger, however, if they want to have a chance of pipping them to his signature, which is €18m plus €6m in bonuses (£20.6m total). NSWE have made contact with the player and talks could possibly intensify in the coming days.
While Gnonto may not be a guaranteed starter for Villa next season, unlike immediate key men in Tielemans and Torres, he could still be a fantastic signing who is viewed as a long-term addition with a high ceiling.
The Leeds ace has won 12 caps for Italy, despite not yet turning 20 – Leeds coach Michael Skubala has also described him as "special" – and he did enough in a struggling team last term to show what he is capable of in wide areas, combining quick feet, blistering pace and end product that will only improve with age.
With all due respect to Everton, they could again find themselves in a relegation battle for a third year in a row, whereas Villa really do look like they are going places under Emery, making strong signings, having plenty of money to spend and looking to even push for a top-six finish in the Premier League in 2023/24.
They are the more exciting proposition, but the one potential issue is that the Merseysiders could promise him more regular football from the off, which could appeal to Gnonto at this stage in his career, rather than warming the substitutes' bench and having to accept Emery's rotation across four competitions.
