The January transfer window was a pretty quiet one for Leeds United after they failed to land any new players to aid their Championship promotion push.
Daniel Farke targeted endless players to try and add to his current squad at Elland Road, but he was unable to complete any moves, having to settle for the players currently at his disposal.
Cameron Archer was a player widely linked going into the final few days of the window, but given Southampton’s lowly Premier League standing, it was always unlikely they would part ways with the striker.
However, the lack of new additions doesn’t appear to have affected the German, after his side claimed all three points against Coventry City just a couple of days after the market slammed shut until the summer.
The result has further strengthened their chances of ending their top-division exile, but he must surely wish he had secured a deal to land a player who’s previously starred under his guidance.
Leeds’ move to land Emi Buendia in January
One name that refused to go away for Leeds during the entirety of the month was that of Aston Villa man Emi Buendia after he became available for a loan move away from the West Midlands.
The Argentine moved to Villa back in the summer of 2021 for a then club-record £33m, with real ambitions of transforming their attack and leading them to a European spot.
However, he struggled to make the impact he desired, with a knee injury halting his progress with the Villans, subsequently losing his place and rapidly dropping down the order upon his return.
The Whites were just one side interested, understandably so after the forward’s previous link-up with Farke at Norwich City which saw him net 15 goals and 16 assists during the 2020/21 Championship campaign, which secured the Canaries a return to the Premier League, finishing top of the pile.
However, he would move on loan to Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen until the end of the current season, with the German unable to tempt the 28-year-old to move to Yorkshire and rekindle their partnership.
Undoubtedly, missing out on a player who’s thrived under the manager and had the experience of securing promotion is a huge disappointment, but the club have already worked wonders in the market, landing one player whose value has soared as of late.
The Leeds player who’s now worth more than Buendia
Despite missing out on Buendia, Leeds have impressed within the final third throughout 2024/25, posting a tally of 62 goals in just 31 league outings, the most of any side in the division.
Their average of two goals a game demonstrates how impressive they’ve been in front of goal over the last couple of months, with multiple players playing a key role in their success.
Wilfried Gnonto is just one of the attackers who have impressed this season, registering a total of five goals and five assists in his 29 league outings under Farke.
The Italian looked at one stage as though he could be off to Saudi Arabia in January, but no deal ever materialised, with the Whites undoubtedly benefiting from his talents between now and the end of May.
It’s hard to believe Gnonto is still just 21, especially when he made his first appearance at just 18, having bags of time to continue his development and improve further at Elland Road.
He cost just £3.8m from Swiss outfit FC Zurich, a fee that now appears to be a bargain, especially considering his rapid increase in value as a result of his displays in Yorkshire.
Gnonto is now valued at a staggering €37m (£30.8m) by CIES Football Observatory, an increase of 710% on the fee that they forked out for his signature just under three years ago.
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Wilfried Gnonto’s stats for Leeds in the Championship (2024/25) |
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|---|---|
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Statistics (per 90) |
Tally |
|
Games played |
29 |
|
Goals & assists |
10 |
|
Shots taken |
3.2 |
|
Pass accuracy |
82% |
|
Chances created |
2 |
|
Successful dribbles |
1.9 |
|
Touches in opposition box |
5.5 |
|
Fouls won |
2.6 |
|
Stats via FotMob |
|
His subsequent value is now higher than that of Buendia, who’s only valued at €18m (£15m) as a result of his torrid recent luck with injuries, with his value more than half of the fee Villa paid to land the Argentine.
Whilst Gnonto has found starts hard to come by in recent weeks, his market value is evidence that he’s still an extremely promising young talent with his price tag only going to keep rising as he develops.
He still has a huge role to play in the club’s ambitions of securing promotion in the next couple of months, having the skill set to make an impact, whether that be from a starting role or even off the bench.
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