Leeds United have enjoyed a strong start to their second season back in the Premier League by being unbeaten in the first five matches of the campaign.
The Whites are fifth in the division with two wins and three draws after they finished 14th in the top-flight in their first year back in the league under Daniel Farke.
They have been inconsistent offensively, though, as they have only scored more than one goal in one match, drawing their most recent clash with Crystal Palace 0-0.
Farke did part ways with a star who had previously been effective as an attacker in a Leeds shirt, as Wilfried Gnonto was sent out on loan on deadline day.
Why Farke was right to part ways with Gnonto
The former Italy U21 international emerged as an exciting fan favourite by scoring 18 goals and providing eight assists in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined.
Leeds being promoted to the Premier League, though, turned out to be a bad thing for the Italian winger, as he was unable to cope with the step-up in intensity and quality.
Farke was right not to hand the 22-year-old attacker too many starts in the top-flight because the forward did not do enough in his time on the pitch to suggest that he deserved more opportunities.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Wilfried Gnonto |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
23 |
|
Starts |
4 |
|
xG |
0.41 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Key passes |
0.4 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Successful dribbles per game |
0.2 |
Gnonto ended last season with no goals and less than one chance created every other game on average across his 23 appearances in the Premier League, which shows that he did not offer enough quality in the final third on a regular basis.
The winger has yet to produce a goal or an assist in three appearances for Fiorentina in the Serie A, and it is down to him to turn his form around and prove the German head coach wrong in the long run.
Leeds star in danger of becoming the next Gnonto
Farke was right to send Gnonto away on loan over the summer, and the former Norwich City boss may have to make the same call on another player in the next transfer window.
Leeds forward Daniel James is currently in danger of becoming the next Gnonto at Elland Road because of his struggles at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League.
The Wales international was even more productive than the Italian forward in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns for the Whites, scoring 25 goals and providing 16 assists in all competitions.
His form in those seasons for the West Yorkshire outfit may have bought him some more patience from Farke, because his performances since the start of last term have been disappointing.
The 28-year-old attacker has gone 23 league matches without a goal for the Whites, as his last strike in the league came against Middlesbrough in the Championship in April 2025, which means that he has not scored a goal in 17 months.
James was incredibly productive in the second tier for Leeds, as evidenced by his aforementioned statistics under Farke, but he has not successfully made the step-up to the top-flight.
|
Dan James (Premier League) |
25/26 |
26/27 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
19 |
3 |
|
xG |
0.91 |
0.35 |
|
Goals |
0 |
0 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.5 |
0.0 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
0 |
Since the start of the 2025/26 campaign, the Welshman wide player has failed to deliver a single goal or assist for his side in 22 appearances in the Premier League.
James did score in the win over Nottingham Forest in the League Cup last month, to his credit, but his lack of production in the Premier League is a concern moving forward.
If the former Manchester United winger continues to struggle for goals and assists in the Premier League between now and the January transfer window, Farke may have to take a decision on his future.
James has not done enough, yet, to prove that he has the quality to be a consistent performer in the top-flight for Leeds, which is why they may have to part ways with him in the mid-to-long-term to bring in players with more to offer on the pitch.
Gnonto has already been pushed out of the door at Elland Road due to his lack of end product in the Premier League last season, joining Fiorentina on loan with an option to make it permanent next summer.
Now, James is in danger of following in his footsteps ahead of the January window unless he can end his 17-month wait for a league goal for Leeds.
