Leeds United's Wilfried Gnonto alternative is already available amid Paraag Marathe transfer admission

Leeds United look set for another busy summer of ins and outs as they plan for a second season of Championship football, following Sunday’s heart-breaking play-off final defeat to Southampton. Daniel Farke’s side rallied brilliantly to collect 90 points but slipped up when it mattered most and now face another summer of uncertainty and financial gymnastics.

Not long after the final whistle had blown at Wembley were there reports of financial plugs that needed filling and interest in the club’s star players. A Peter Ridsdale-era fire sale is unlikely, however, and club chairman Paraag Marathe has been at pains to ease supporter concern amid reports of the need to pay off £190million in transfer instalments.

The abundance of saleable assets in the current squad, and those out on loan, will avert any crisis but tough decisions will have to be made by those in charge. One would expect a greater acceptance to cash in on those who present the opportunity to make significant profit, with Wilfried Gnonto among those attracting plenty of interest.

Gnonto has been somewhat overshadowed by the outstanding Crysencio Summerville this season but after a shaky start, played his part in an excellent run of form in 2024. Eight goals and three assists in the Championship will likely be enough to see interest renewed this summer and the 20-year-old is all too aware that top-flight football looks necessary for a place in the Italy squad.

United’s summer business will be judged largely on how they replace big-money exits with cheaper options and so finding a suitable replacement for someone like Gnonto - who could bring in anywhere between £20-30m - will be seen as a key objective. Fortunately, this summer will see a number of Premier League players become free agents and Fulham’s Bobby De Cordova-Reid could prove an inspired option.

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The winger is in talks over a potential new deal at Fulham but nothing is agreed yet and the allure of more regular football could offer Leeds the chance to snap up a bargain. At 31-years-old, the Jamaican international might not catch the eye as a marquee signing but six Premier League goals this season is not to be sniffed at and experience is something manager Daniel Farke has openly admitted was lacking this season.

"It's a little too early for me to answer specific questions, it's still, what is it 36 hours or whatever since the final, so it's just I can't talk on specific players right now," Marathe told the Yorkshire Evening Post this week when asked about the club’s summer plans. "But if I can paint the big picture for you, there are certain things that we need to do and we will make sure we are fully compliant with P&S, as we always have been.

“And there are certain trade-offs that we have to make and so we'll have to get to the drawing board and figure out which moves we have to make sure that we are compliant. It's too early to say. Obviously Archie [Gray] is a tremendous player, as are all of the players who put in so much effort for us, but you know, every season brings change and so I can't yet comment on it, but we'll see what happens."

Marathe has already earned a reputation among supporters as a relatively straight-talking chairman and the reality of this summer has not been washed over. Leeds will have to sell some of most in-demand assets and replacements will need to be shrewd, if not completely on the cheap.

The opportunity to pick up any available free agents will be considered by those in charge of recruitment and if De Cordova-Reid does decide to leave Fulham, the versatile forward would provide much-needed experience and the attacking threat lost if Gnonto is sold. Leeds could do much worse.