Wilfried Gnonto’s contract extension at Leeds United was certainly a nice way to end the transfer window.
Gnonto’s deal was announced just a matter of hours after last Friday’s 11pm deadline and put any sort of speculation surrounding his future firmly to bed.
After a summer of yet more release clause problems, Gnonto is not thought to have one in his new deal, which is a real show of commitment to his future at Elland Road.
Gnonto is now tied up for the next four years and could well be the first of a few players who Leeds initiate talks with in the coming weeks and months.
Junior Firpo and Sam Byram are both out of contract next summer, while Dan James, Illan Meslier, Patrick Bamford and Karl Darlow have less than two years.
Ben Jacobs share how Leeds feel about Patrick Bamford contract
If Leeds go onto win promotion this season, the 49ers may have to be a little brutal when it comes to making decisions on who they offer contracts to.
Meslier, James and Bamford have all proven in the past the Premier League may be slightly above them, but the former two do certainly have some resale value.
Bamford, however, has spent so much of the last three years struggling for form and fitness, yet according to journalist Ben Jacobs, Leeds see him as a contract ‘priority’.
Jacobs told Give Me Sport Bamford is happy at Leeds and willing to extend, which is something the 49ers could look to accommodate.
He said: “I think 49ers Enterprises may wait a little bit longer with one or two, to try and put themselves in a stronger negotiating position. And therefore we may not see a flurry of renewals, as per Willy Gnonto in the next few days or weeks.
“Bamford, I’m told, is a priority, though, and he’s willing to extend and has never had an issue playing in the Championship compared to other options. He’s very loyal to Leeds, he doesn’t want to go anywhere at this stage.
“The consideration there will be whether he can stay fit and whether Leeds wish to offer a long-term contract, knowing that he’s had so many unfortunate problems with injuries.”
Handing Bamford a new Leeds contract would be a mistake
This would certainly be a strange decision for Leeds to make considering just how much he is struggling with injuries right now.
Bamford simply cannot be relied on anymore and should really be moved on while Leeds can still get some sort of fee.
At just £7 million from Middlesbrough in 2018, Bamford has been a great servant to Leeds but he is now firmly second, potentially even third choice behind Mateo Joseph and Joel Piroe.
Particularly if Leeds get promoted, there is very little he could offer these days in the Premier League they could not go and buy elsewhere.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
