Chelsea are reportedly eyeing a move for Leeds United attacker Wilfried Gnonto, in what could be Todd Boehly's best deal in his time at Stamford Bridge.
Could Chelsea sign Wilfried Gnonto?
According to Italian news outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City are all lining up moves for the 19-year-old, who has established himself as a mainstay at Elland Road following his summer switch from Zurich.
Already a fully-fledged Italy international, the teenage forward boasts an impressive return of two goals and three assists in 16 top-flight appearances so far this campaign, with WhoScored awarding him a solid 6.62 average rating for his performances.
Despite his age and lack of experience, Gnonto looks as if he will be vital to Javi Gracia's side in the final few months of the campaign, as they look to avoid a return to the Championship.
The left-winger ranks fourth for shots, third for key passes and third for dribbles per game in Leeds' squad, so there is no doubt that he has been one of the most consistent attacking threats in what has been a disappointing campaign for the Yorkshire outfit.
Speaking to Football Insider, pundit Tam McManus lauded the former Inter academy star earlier in the season after Leeds came back to beat Bournemouth 4-3.
He said: “The boy who got the assist, he came on and he just looks like a little pocket rocket.
“Wow, what a performance from him. He looks like he has a real low centre of gravity and he looks absolutely tremendous."
However, Chelsea and Boehly may well be hoping that Leeds are relegated this season, as Gnonto has done enough to prove he is ready for Premier League football, and it could cut short his stay at Elland Road in favour of a move to an established top-flight club.
The report from Italy goes on to claim that Leeds would want to receive a minimum of €30m (£26m) for the youngster this summer, which represents just a drop in the ocean for Boehly given the sums he has spent on players in his Stamford Bridge tenure thus far.
While there is already a plethora of young attacking talent in Graham Potter's squad, the likes of Christian Pulisic and Mykhailo Mudryk have just one goal and two assists between them and have underwhelmed so far this campaign, so Boehly could bring in a younger, Premier League-proven talent to replace them.
Gnonto certainly fits Boehly's model of young signings, so the Italy international could be his best addition yet if he can live up to his huge potential at Stamford Bridge. After all, his five goal involvements this term in his formative years are more than any of Chelsea's recent signings aside from Raheem Sterling.
Admittedly, he doesn't have much competition for that prize, but it's a marker of the attacker's vast potential, and as such, simply must be signed.
