However, a very late twist followed and things dramatically fell apart. Dieng changed his mind on a move to Leeds at the last second, who were then left scrambling for a signing.
The club restored to recruiting one Wilfried Gnonto, who at the time was essentially Leeds’ third choice.
Many fans chalked the transfer off to a mere panic buy, which it possibly was.
What very few realized at the time was that Leeds had managed to recruit a special 19-year-old, and he provided evidence of that during his very first appearance in white.
The Italian received his debut as a sub against Liverpool, a high-profile occasion in every sense.
With the world watching on, he produced an impressive display, and even went on to assist Crysenico Summerville for the winning goal.
During the Peacocks’ weekend fixture against Bournemouth, Gnonto’s contributions proved to be vital once again.
On this occasion, the Italian produced a determined run covering the length of the pitch, before delivering a perfectly-weighted pass into the path of Summerville, who made no mistake.
Incredible celebrations followed, as Leeds completed a sensational comeback and won the game 4-3.
Naturally, fans gathered inside Elland Road were overjoyed, and they seemed particularly pleased with Gnonto’s impact.
Fans quickly stitched up an X-rated chant for the Italian, one you’ve probably heard before for other players.
‘Willy Gnonto, Willy Gnonto, He Eats spaghetti, Drinks Moretti, His cock’s f**king massive’
Referencing Spaghetti, the Italian dish, and Moretti, an Italian Beer, the chant is pretty on the nose.
As for the X-rated mention, it is sadly a case of stereotyping.
In the past, black players have been subjected to similar chants, which they’ve publicly taken issue towards.
And it didn’t take long for fans online to point it out and suggest alterations.
Can we stop with the Gnonto chant? He's a big talent. We don't need to talk about the size of his corey. It's racial stereotyping and the likes of Lukaku & Toney have asked fans not to in the past.
