Wigan Athletic in driving seat to land Leeds United ace despite interest from West Brom, Hull City and others

Wigan Athletic are in the driving seat to land Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt on loan. The 20-year-old has been on the radar of seven Championship clubs in this January transfer window but is poised to return to his former club.

The Whites are set to give him the green light to leave on a deal until the end of the season to help him get some more experience under his belt. He penned a long-term contract until 2027 last summer.

Gelhardt, who is an England youth international, will be given the option to decide which club he wants to join. Although a move back to the DW Stadium isn’t completely done yet, it appears a return to familiar surroundings is of particular interest.

Other second tier teams such as West Brom, Hull City, Stoke City and Sunderland have been interested in bringing him in. However, not all have made loan approaches.

Leeds acquired the promising attacker back in 2020 from the Latics and he has since made 40 first-team appearances, chipping in with two goals. He has played 18 times under Jesse Marsch this term but Georginio Rutter’s recent arrival from Hoffenheim has meant the club are happy to let him depart.

Wigan are managed by Kolo Toure these days and are currently bottom of the table after a tough campaign so far. They are four points from safety and will be hoping to get a deal over the line for Gelhardt to help boost their attacking options.