Fiorentina Transfer Market: It’s Not Just Beto—Mancini’s Favorite Player Also Joins Grosso’s Squad

Fiorentina is trying to turn things around after a nightmarish start to the season, and is doing so by once again looking to the Premier League. Following Beto’s permanent transfer from Everton, the Viola are in fact ready, as reported by ‘La Nazione’, to sign Willy Gnonto on loan from Leeds United. At 23, Gnonto is about to make his Serie A debut: almost a paradox for a player who came up through Inter’s youth system and has already made 13 appearances for the national team between 2022 and 2023.

After coming up through the youth ranks at Inter, Gnonto was loaned to Zurich, where—with 9 goals in the Super League and a strong personality on display despite his very young age—he caught the attention of Roberto Mancini, who called him up to the senior national team on June 4, 2022, against Germany. From there, he went on to make 13 appearances and score one goal—again against Germany. Then came his move to Leeds, where he spent four intense seasons across the Premier League, the Championship, and cup competitions: 147 matches and 23 goals were his overall tally with the Peacocks.

Today, Fiorentina is bringing him to Italy at a very delicate moment: two games and two losses, zero goals scored, and seven conceded. The transfer window has already brought in many new names, but so far it has proved fruitless. Furthermore, the now-certain departures of Kean (to Como) and Gudmundsson (Lazio is interested in him) have opened up space in the attack, and the Viola have decided to target a player whose physical and technical attributes complement those of Beto.

Gnonto also arrives with a personal motivation: to reclaim his spot on the national team. Mancini had surprisingly chosen him as one of his favorites, but his successors, Luciano Spalletti and Gennaro Gattuso, haven’t found a place for him. Florence could be the perfect springboard for him to get back on track, regain consistency, and return to the Azzurri fold.