'All is possible' - Daniel Farke casts transfer verdict on Leeds United star pair on top flight radars
Daniel Farke refuses to rule out transfer approaches for two of his key Leeds United stars, but believes they are showing full commitment in pre-season.
Both Crysencio Summerville and Willy Gnonto have been the subject of interest and plenty of speculation linking them away from Elland Road but neither have yet attracted a bid that would force Leeds to make a decision. Summerville has been on the radar of Premier League sides Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham, while Gnonto remains a player of interest for Everton. Leeds are prepared to act in order to replace either winger, should anyone put down an offer that meets or exceeds their valuation and should the player desire to leave.
For Farke, pre-season has been a chance to judge the dedication of both youngsters as transfer talk rumbles around the club without an imminent move so far materialising. He cannot guarantee either will still be at Elland Road by the time the summer window closes but likes what he sees from Summerville and Gnonto.
"Yes, in football you can never rule out anything, so all is possible," he said after a 4-1 win over Hannover 96 that saw the pair come in for some heavy treatment from their German opponents. "For that I can’t give any guarantees as I am not a magician. I can just judge what I see and both are fully integrated, they are fun to be here, they work hard, even today was a game the opponent tried to set some signs and the first target is always Summerville or Gnonto with many tackles. It showed maturity the way they handled it and how they kept going to bring themselves into good shape. So for that I just can judge what I see, I see hard work and commitment, great attitude and for that I am more than hopeful they chip in with top performances like last season."
Summerville was a main man for Leeds last season, contributing 19 goals and nine assists in their Championship campaign, while Gnonto added eight goals and two assists. Neither player has a release clause and Leeds believe they can dictate terms now for any potential exits, having sold Archie Gray to Tottenham Hotspur for £40m, a sum that significantly eased their Profitability and Sustainability position. Leeds have also sold Glen Kamara to Rennes for a fee of around £8m, one year after shelling out between £4m and £5m to prise him from Glasgow Rangers, and Charlie Cresswell has also departed for France in a £3.8m deal with Toulouse.