How Willy Gnonto feels about Josuha Guilavogui’s Leeds United future revealed | OneFootball

Wilfried Gnonto has asked Josuha Guilavogui to stay for one more year after Leeds secured promotion.

Wilfried Gnonto has asked Josuha Guilavogui to stay 'one more season' after Leeds United secured promotion on Monday evening.

This revelation came on Instagram, where the Italian left a comment on the Frenchman's promotion post urging him to stay.

Guilavogui joined the Whites in late October following his release from FSV Mainz the previous season and has been used sparsely by Daniel Farke - accruing just 53 minutes of action across 15 Championship appearances.

Yet he appears to have played a crucial role behind the scenes, with the 34-year-old’s leadership notably highlighted by people within the club. In The Athletic's article examining Leeds’ promotion-winning side, a senior source told them: "I don’t believe you can have someone just for motivation, but he’s brilliant. He’s the one putting his arm around Willy (Gnonto) when he’s not got as much game time as he might have liked, same with Ramazani. He’s definitely a father figure."

To those at Elland Road, it is clear that Guilavogui is an imperative player off the pitch, but whether that is enough to warrant 'one more season' remains unclear.

Josuha Guilavogui's uncertain Leeds United future

Having been an influential presence around the squad, it’s not just Gnonto who wants Guilavogui to stay - Leeds striker Joel Piroe also echoed the sentiment, replying: "Two, he is young."

His current deal is set to expire this summer, with his free-agent move in October 2024 only seeing him signed until the end of the season. With Sam Byram and Junior Firpo also out of contract, there could be a modest shift in experience within the squad, and Farke may look to keep Guilavogui around for another year.

While the step-up to the Premier League might be a challenge for him, his experience - built across more than 300 appearances in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 - could still offer real value behind the scenes in the top flight.

Josuha Guilavogui: Wilfried Gnonto's father-like figure

As previously mentioned, it’s clear that Guilavogui is someone Gnonto looks up to, and having that experienced figure around him has undoubtedly been beneficial at times this season.

In the second half of the campaign, Gnonto has often found himself behind the likes of Daniel James, Brenden Aaronson, and Manor Solomon in the pecking order, forced to patiently wait for his opportunity. Throughout that period, Guilavogui has seemingly been a reassuring voice, encouraging him to stay ready, and that moment finally arrived in their promotion-clinching victory over Stoke City, where Gnonto found the net in a commanding 6-0 win.

Speaking back in December about his French compatriot, it was clear that Gnonto has a lot of fondness for him.

"He’s had a great impact," Gnonto told LUTV. He's a good guy, he has a lot of experience and he always tries to help people. He’s always there with a good attitude, always smiling.

"With me personally, he has been great since the start. I'm really happy to have him and it's good to have this type of personality in the dressing room."

Whether Guilavogui signs a new deal at Elland Road is uncertain, but if the decision were left to Willy Gnonto, you’d imagine there’d only be one outcome.