Two Bundesliga teams are spearheading the race for talented Italian youngster Wilfried Gnonto, who at just 18-years of age, already has four appearances with the Italy national team under Roberto Mancini in the ongoing UEFA Nations League tournament. The youngster left Inter’s youth academy to join FC Zurich as a free agent last summer.
Wilfried Gnonto is a real bagsman ?
Followed up an assist on his Italy debut with a goal last night. Remember that name, you’ll be seeing a lot more of Wilf G. Big things pending. pic.twitter.com/jYXT6bT2qs
— NXGN (@nxgn_football) June 15, 2022
As per transfer market expert Gianluca Di Marzio’s information, Freiburg have jumped into pole position for Gnonto, but will nonetheless face stiff competition from fellow German club Hoffenheim. However, of the two, it is the latter who have an edge with the presence of coach Andre Breitenreiter, who worked with the budding 18-year-old last season as they conquered and brought the Swiss Super League to Zurich.
He is valued at €10M by Zurich, according to Transfermarkt. The Swiss side will not entertain downsized offers by interested clubs despite his contract expiring at the end of next season.
Gnonto made his national team debut in the Azzurri’s Nations League opener against Germany before bagging his first goal in the reverse fixture to become the country’s youngest goalscorer, aged just 18 years and 222 days, breaking the previous record held by Bruno Nicolè since 1958.
18 & 222 – Wilfried #Gnonto (18 years and 222 days) is the youngest scorer in Italy's history, overtaken Bruno Nicolè (18 years and 259 days in 1958 v France). Youth.#GerIta #GermaniaItalia #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/cznKiVhtbT
— OptaPaolo ? (@OptaPaolo) June 14, 2022
The starlet will be one of the two important players missing Italy’s U-19 European Championship tournament after being denied permission to travel by FC Zurich due to scheduled UEFA Champions League preliminary rounds in July. The other is Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini.
Italia Under 19, i convocati per gli Europei: Gnonto e Scalvini out per decisione dei rispettivi club https://t.co/Np9b0DxvjZ
— TUTTOmercatoWEB (@TuttoMercatoWeb) June 16, 2022