Leeds Could Land £8.5m Gnonto Replacement

Leeds United are in desperate need of reinforcements ahead of their imminent return to the Championship next weekend, and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What’s the latest on Leeds’ interest in Francis Amuzu?

According to Belgian journalist Pieter-Jan Calcoen, Leeds are interested in signing Anderlecht winger Francis Amuzu this summer.

Calcoen revealed on Twitter:

“Francis Amuzu of #RSCA is high on the wish list of #Leeds , #LutonTown and #OGCNice . There is no concrete offer yet, but at least one of the three clubs is preparing one.”

Who is Francis Amuzu?

The 23-year-old has risen through the ranks of Anderlecht’s academy to become a first-team regular for the Belgian giants over his career so far, as well as earning a spot in the Belgium U21s in the past – tallying up 14 caps and two goals.

Over 203 appearances in all competitions, Amuzu has scored 20 goals and registered 28 assists whilst being deployed predominantly on the left wing, proving that he is a consistent contributor for the club and a player who could be a real asset to Daniel Farke next season.

Since being relegated in May, Leeds have seen a number of their Premier League players depart from Elland Road including several attacking talents including Rodrigo and Brenden Aaronson, whilst Italian talent Wilfried Gnonto’s future hangs in the balance.

The 19-year-old enjoyed a promising debut campaign in English football last time out after scoring four goals and providing four assists in 28 games in all competitions, although after just a year at the club, it looks like the teenager’s future could lie elsewhere.

It has been reported by Football Insider this week that Everton are in pole position to sign the Leeds star this summer and it was further noted that a £20m bid from the Merseysiders would be enough for the Whites to part ways with their winger.

As a result, the signing of Amuzu could ease the blow of losing Gnonto should the West Yorkshire outfit find themselves unable to hold onto their youngster this summer, as the Ghana-born forward is more than capable of making an impact in the final third.

Over 32 Belgian Pro League appearances last season, he scored three goals, registered six assists and created four big chances, as well as averaging 1.4 shots on goal, 35.3 touches, 17.4 accurate passes and 3.7 duels won per game, according to SofaScore.

Not only that, as per FBref, the Anderlecht star – hailed “quality” by former boss and Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany – ranked in the top 30% of his positional peers in the Men’s Next Eight Competitions for assists, pass completion, progressive passes, progressive passes received, interceptions and clearances.

Indeed, it would be advantageous for Farke to retain as many of his best assets as possible for the promotion battle in the second tier next season, however, looking at their options will be a necessity over the final weeks of the transfer window, to ensure they are not caught short when they return to action next month.

With that being said, Amuzu would be a great prospect to explore as a potential replacement for Gnonto this summer and if his price tag of €10m (£8.5m) reported last year still stands, it would be a financially viable move for Leeds to secure his signature.