Wilfried Gnonto has explained the reasons behind his decision to sign a new contract at Leeds United.
Gnonto has put pen-to-paper on a new four-year-deal at Elland Road in what is a huge sign of his commitment to the club after a whirlwind 12 months personally.
The 20-year-old has watched two of his closest friends in Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter leave this summer, in what many thought would nudge him towards the exit door.
However, despite a £23 million bid from Everton, Gnonto has kept his head down and looks as though he could well be taking the mantle of Leeds’ main man this season.
Gnonto’s new deal certainly puts all the antics of 12 months ago behind him and hopefully it won’t be long until he is playing in the Premier League as a Leeds player again.
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Gnonto explains reasons for new Leeds deal
Gnonto has spoken to LUTV about his decision to sign a new deal and it certainly feels as though he thinks he has somewhat of a point to prove after last season.
It wasn’t until around February onwards that Gnonto was really able to assert himself into the campaign, having struggled to dislodge either Summerville or Dan James from the team.
Gnonto ended the season with a total of eight league goals but with him already off the mark and playing in his best position off the left, he should comfortably surpass that total this term.
And reflecting on committing his future to the club, Gnonto believes Leeds is the best place for him to find that ‘consistency’ he perhaps lacked last season, while also labelling it as his ‘second home’.
He said: “I have been here two years now, going into my third season I am really happy to be here. It feels like, since the start, my second home and I have really enjoyed being here. With the ambition of the club, I see my future here.
“There have been many ups and downs and going into this season I feel it is important for me to find some consistency. I feel like the right place to do it is here so I am really happy and can’t wait to keep going.”
Does Gnonto have a release clause?
Release clauses were once again been the talk of the transfer window at Leeds, following on from the eight players who left on loan last summer after relegation.
Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter all left Elland Road this summer, too, with Leeds putting those departures down to previously inserted release clauses.
And so with every new contract that is handed out now, the focus will be on whether the 49ers put release clauses into them.
In what is good news, Fabrizio Romano has shared on his Twitter account that ‘club sources’ have told him there isn’t one in Gnonto’s new deal, which is great news.
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