Interest building in Leeds United January transfer window loan move with suitors revealed

The YEP understands that there were as many as 10 clubs expressing a desire to take the 22-year-old on loan in the summer, including a host of second tier outfits, Glasgow Rangers and foreign outfits. Gelhardt was the subject of interest from Glasgow Celtic last January and though talks took place and Leeds initially seemed keen to entertain the idea, their loan situation ultimately dictated. Having hit the limit for loans to clubs abroad the Whites would have been unable to sanction a move north of the border and an attempt to turn one of their other loans into a permanent deal came to nought.

In any case, manager Daniel Farke spoke clearly in January 2024 of his need to keep Gelhardt around unless the situation changed. "Joffy is a proper part of our group and has played several games and minutes, and at the moment the group is definitely not too big and at the moment I am not tempted to give any more players away," he said. "Now we want to keep more or less the group and strengthen the squad, we are not tempted to give players away, also not in offensive positions."

Gelhardt made just four cameo appearances off the bench in the second half of the Championship season, racking up just 23 minutes of league action as Leeds missed out on promotion by the margin of a single play-off final goal.

In the summer Leeds' unwillingness to consider a temporary exit for Gelhardt disappointed a host of clubs. Some of those, including Rangers, Portsmouth, Stoke City, Plymouth Argyle, Preston North End and a pair of Belgian clubs, are believed to remain interested in exploring a loan deal in January. The YEP understands that there is enthusiasm on the player's side, with involvement so limited once again this season.

Gelhardt's only start to date in the current campaign came in the Carabao Cup and in the Championship he has come off the bench twice late in games. Despite having recovered from a recent hip injury, Gelhardt was not named among the substitutes for the 4-3 win at Swansea City on Sunday. Farke said that recent niggles had hampered Gelhardt but so too has competition for places in attacking positions - even if the youngster is doing everything he should be doing in training.

"Obviously Joffy was struggling also with a few minor injuries in the last weeks," he said. "It's also tough, because he's such a top class character and gives everything in each of the training sessions. I love to have him around. He's homegrown. In each of the training sessions, he puts his heart really out. But the truth also, there's lots of quality options in this position. He has played obviously also for us and for this club a bit more like a winger who comes inside. On the winger positions we have Daniel James, we have Manor Salomon, we have Largie Ramazani and Willy Gnonto. He has also played a bit like a like a like a striker a bit like a loose striker and we have there at the moment Joel Piroe, who has scored many goals, we've got Mateo Joseph and we must not forget Patrick Bamford right now, also with lots of lots of quality and a crucial player and thank God he's on his way to stay fit and to gain his fitness back. I can't always take four strikers with us.

"It's tough for [Gelhardt], but I have to praise him for his attitude and his workload and training performances. So we also need this. And he has to make sure that he prepares himself for the moment when the chance will come. Sometimes there is a chance out of injuries, illnesses, bookings, or perhaps when a player has perhaps a poorer period and is not delivering. Then his time will come."

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The form of Farke's wide players - three of whom either scored or assisted each of the four goals on Sunday in Wales - and the return to fitness of Ramazani makes it unlikely that Gelhardt's time will come in a wide position, though. And up top Piroe has been keeping Joseph and Bamford out of the side, while Brenden Aaronson has made himself Farke's preferred choice at 10.

For a player who was so highly rated by Marcelo Bielsa, has 35 Premier League appearances under his belt and a successful half-season loan stint with Sunderland that very nearly ended in a play-off final place at Wembley, the plan or a way forward has not been immediately clear for some time at Elland Road.

Gelhardt's ability would make him a starter in a good number of Championship sides and he will be keen to emulate his close friend Sam Greenwood's recent success on loan with Preston. Greenwood has four goals and an assist in his last six league outings and appears to now be making the most of his opportunity to play regular football elsewhere. Similarly, Darko Gyabi has started 13 of Plymouth's 15 Championship games having nailed down a starting role in Wayne Rooney's team. Others, like Max Dean and Charlie Cresswell, are proving that moves abroad can bring the gametime and experience needed to continue career development at a young age.

With a contract that runs to the summer of 2027 it is unlikely that a permanent exit will come for Gelhardt in the January window but a loan move makes a lot of sense for both the player and his club, who would stand to benefit if he can boost his market value once again with regular football and goals elsewhere or return to a level of form that convinces Farke he's worth using at Leeds.