Pundit Tam McManus believes that Leeds United youngster Wilfried Gnonto may replace Patrick Bamford at Elland Road in the long-term.
The Lowdown: Three Premier League appearances
Gnonto arrived in Yorkshire on transfer deadline day from FC Zurich and had to remain patient for an opportunity under Jesse Marsch.
The 19-year-old impressed on his debut against Liverpool at the end of October and set up the winning goal against Bournemouth a week later, which led to a first start in the Premier League against Tottenham last Saturday.
The Italy international played 45 minutes on the right-hand side against Spurs, and his displays have impressed McManus.
The Latest: McManus’ comments
Speaking to Football Insider, the former Hibernian striker praised Gnonto for his impact at Leeds so far and hinted that he could replace Bamford going forward.
McManus said of the teenager: “The few times I have seen him play he has really blown me away. The pace he showed against Bournemouth for that last goal was something else.
“There is plenty of pace and energy there. I wonder if Gnonto now has that place in the team. You look at Bamford and he hasn’t performed.
“There is the injury risk as well, he never seems able to put more than a few games together before he has another knock or whatever it is this time.
“So it’s up to Gnonto now he has that first start, of course he will be disappointed to only get 45 minutes but he played his part, unfortunately for Leeds they couldn’t hold on and get anything from that game.”
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The Verdict: Potentially…
As McManus mentions, Bamford has continued to struggle with injury this season, missing four top-flight games already after a stop-start 2021/22 campaign.
The 29-year-old has missed nine big chances in the 2022/23 Premier League in 427 minutes of action, so Leeds may be considering his long-term future in Yorkshire.
The Whites clearly have an exciting young talent in Gnonto, so it will be interesting to see how Marsch uses him following the World Cup break, at which point he could potentially become a regular starter at Elland Road.