"Second home" - Willy Gnonto breaks silence after new Leeds United agreement | OneFootball

The Italian has signed a fresh contract at Elland Road

Wilfried Gnonto has issued his reaction to signing a fresh four-year contract with Leeds United, stating that he sees his long-term future at Elland Road.

The Italian's time in West Yorkshire has been eventful to say the least, having been relegated in his first season at the club after moving from FC Zurich, before going full-circle in terms of circumstances with the club, going on strike with former United winger Luis Sinisterra last summer before re-emerging to play a key role in Daniel Farke's setup.

Leeds failed to regain their Premier League status at the first time of asking last season, which eventually led to fellow stars, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter returning to the top flight with West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion.

However, Gnonto continued to feature in Farke's early-season lineups despite long-standing interest from Everton across the summer, which included a reported £23m bid.

But, the 20-year-old has quashed any speculation regarding his long-term future, putting pen to paper on a four-year deal in LS11, just hours after the summer transfer window slammed shut.

Wilfried Gnonto reacts after signing new Leeds United contract

As well as it being made official by the club, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has also revealed vital news regarding Gnonto's fresh contract, which will be music to the ears of all connected with Leeds.

Romano stated via X: "No release clauses expected to be in the contract, per club sources."

Since the breaking news, Gnonto's reaction has also been laid out to official club channels, with the 20-year-old expressing his delight at extending his West Yorkshire stay until the summer of 2028.

He told LUTV: "It feels really good. I'm really happy for this extension. I'm really happy to be here and obviously I can't wait to play in front of the fans again.

"I've been here two years now and I'm going into my third season, I’m really happy to be here," he added.

"It's been, since the start, I can say my second home. I really enjoyed being here and with the ambition in the club, I see my future here.

"I feel like it's important for me to find some consistency and I feel like the right place to do it this year. So I'm really happy and I can't wait to keep going with it."

The Italian stated: "Since the start, I felt like Leeds United was like a family."

The forward's importance to United moving forward was highlighted last season, scoring on eight occasions across 36 Championship appearances - despite starting just 19 of those as a result of scintillating form from his colleagues in the attacking department.

However, there is an even greater onus on Gnonto to deliver in the short-term after the aforementioned departure of last season's Championship Player of the Season in Summerville, which he has already started to fulfil after a solid opening trio of performances, which included an opening day goal in the remarkable 3-3 draw with Portsmouth at Elland Road.

The Italian's potential has been well-publicised ever since being nominated for two straight 'Golden Boy' awards in 2022 and 2023, but with a season of being the focal point of Farke's attack, he will be viewed as the potential difference-maker for Leeds in a number of cagey outings, with the weight of expectation remaining on the Whites' shoulders to deliver a Premier League return by the time May rolls around.

His goal tally last term was a respectable return to build on, and there will be real hope that he can emulate the aforementioned Summerville and hit a high double-figure number in the remaining 43 outings, starting with a Yorkshire Derby against Hull City.