Leeds United positive on chance of landing sought after Wigan Athletic star Joe Gelhardt

The Latics are currently in the hands of administrators Begbies Traynor, including former Whites chairman Gerald Krasner, and have already had to face the sale of England Under-16 midfielder Alfie Devine to Tottenham and Jensen Weir to Brighton.

Those two deals netted Wigan around £800,000, money that is vital for a club with no other source of income.

Gelhardt is expected to follow them out the door and Leeds’ hopes lie in the hands of the administrators, but they believe they’re in with a chance.

The 18-year-old attacker, who draws comparisons with a young Wayne Rooney due to his build, is believed to be open to the possibility of a move to Elland Road and would stand a far greater chance of first-team involvement with Leeds than with some of his other suitors who are established Premier League clubs, thanks to the way Marcelo Bielsa likes to operate.

The club still appear confident that the Argentine will lead them into their first top flight campaign since 2003/04, having fallen in love with the Elland Road project since his arrival two years ago and masterminded their escape from the Championship.

Bielsa is not a man who can be predicted or hurried, however and is yet to put pen to paper.

The work to recruit for the 2020/21 season and beyond continues in the meantime and Leeds have identified five top targets to bolster the first-team squad.