Wilfried Gnonto is tipped to start for Italy against Hungary tonight, making his sixth appearance with the Azzurri. Football Italia looks at how his career has changed since leaving Inter in 2020.
The 18-year-old is a product of the Nerazzurri academy but left the club in 2020 before signing a professional contract with the Serie A giants.
Antonio Conte, Inter’s head coach at that time, had promoted Sebastiano Esposito to the senior team rather than Gnonto and Gazzetta reported in June that this was one of the reasons why he left as he hoped for different treatment from the club.
Federal rules have partially been blamed for Gnonto’s exit as current regulations do not allow Serie A clubs to offer ‘preformation contracts’ at the age of 15.
Gnonto moved abroad in 2020, joining the Swiss side Zurich where he scored 12 goals in 74 appearances.
The 18-year-old hadn’t even featured in Italy’s U21 squad when the Azzurri CT Roberto Mancini surprisingly gave him his first call-up to the senior team this past June.
Gnonto made his senior debut in a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Dall’Ara against Germany on June 4, delivering an assist, and scored his first goal in the return leg ten days later in the Azzurri’s 5-1 loss.
The striker joined Leeds for €4.5m on the deadline day, signing a contract until 2027. He was introduced in the second half of Italy’s 1-0 win over England on Friday and is expected to start his third game with the Azzurri in tonight’s Nations League match against Hungary.
Italy need a victory to win the group and qualify for the Final Four.
good luck to him, play with no fear and show the world how good you are.
& stay away from allegri – he will harm you