Journalist Dean Jones has said that Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto will be ‘carefully managed’ at Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Whelan excited

The Whites fast-tracked a move for Gnonto on deadline day after missing out on signing both Cody Gakpo and Bamba Dieng.

The Italy international appears to have made a quick positive impact at Thorp Arch, with former Leeds striker and current club employee Noel Whelan admitting he’s already heard good things about the forward.

Whelan was buzzing and even said that the teenager could turn out to be ‘the bargain of the season’, and Jones has now shared what he knows on Gnonto.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Talking to GiveMeSport, the reporter stated that he’s been ‘told’ that Leeds chiefs will look to ‘carefully’ manage the player and will be ‘cautious’ when it comes to using Gnonto in Jesse Marsch’s side, despite the impressive start behind closed doors.

[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-8/" title="Latest Leeds United updates" poster="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg" width="360" height="600" align="none"]

“He was really seen as a player that would be given time to adapt, and there’s no panic for him to break through in a matter of weeks.

“I was told when they signed him that he would be carefully managed so that when he comes into the team and onto the scene, he could make an impact. So I think they’re going to be a little bit cautious about how they use him.”

The Verdict: Sensible

Leeds will have waited almost a month from their last outing when they take on Aston Villa on October 2, and that break could actually benefit Gnonto.

He’ll have been in the door for four weeks by the time Leeds take on Steven Gerrard’s side, so it could make sense for the club to use him in their U21s before then. The Whites are scheduled to have three U21 fixtures before Leeds’ clash with Villa, so we may see Gnonto build up his minutes for the U21s before his first-team debut.