Leeds United fringe player sent blunt January transfer message as game-time concern addressed

Carlton Palmer believes Joe Gelhardt’s representatives may already be looking towards the January transfer window if minutes continue to prove elusive at Leeds United.

Gelhardt is yet to start a Championship game this season and has just one minute of league football under his belt, coming on as a late substitute in the 2-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday. The 22-year-old was handed the chance to make an impact in the Carabao Cup defeat to Middlesbrough but, as often happens in such situations, was guilty of trying too hard before getting hooked on the hour mark.

Much of last season was spent behind the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter in the pecking order and despite both leaving, fresh talent has come in and been immediately preferred by Farke. Both of last month’s attacking signings, Manor Solomon and Largie Ramazani, featured against Hull City on Saturday while Gelhardt watched on from the bench, and Palmer has floated the possibility of a mid-season move.

"Joe Gelhardt finds himself in an unenviable position at the moment,” Palmer told Football League World. “He’s 22, and he’s getting very little game time at Leeds United. I’m surprised he didn’t leave Leeds this summer. There were previously last season, the likes of Ipswich Town, who were interested in him. The season before, he went on loan to Championship Sunderland, where he played 18 games and only scored three goals.

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"I am surprised that he and his advisors haven’t sorted a move. He needs to play football, and he’s just not getting any game time and the years are ticking on. I’m sure his advisors now will be looking at it saying, listen, right, if he’s not getting game time, I think by the time we get to the Championship transfer window, they’ll look to get him out, whether it’s on loan or on a permanent deal."

Versatile though Gelhardt is, the young attacker has been unable to carve out a place in Farke’s first-team plans with multiple options ahead of him in every position across the front four. The ability of Wilfried Gnonto, Solomon and Ramazani to shuffle into multiple roles themselves has also made it harder for the former Wigan man, who has just 198 minutes of Championship football to his name since Farke took charge last summer.

Leeds have shown a willingness to allow players in a similar position to leave on loan, with a pair of fringe youngsters out on loan at Championship rivals. Sam Greenwood is playing under Paul Heckingbottom at Preston North End, who have an option to sign him permanently, while midfielder Darko Gyabi is playing alongside Adam Forshaw at Plymouth Argyle.

It remains to be seen how much game-time Gelhardt will enjoy at Leeds but starts will only prove harder to find as new signings Solomon and Ramazani build fitness and settle into their new surroundings.