"Going to Farke and telling him" - Claim made on Joe Gelhardt's Leeds United future ahead of January | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds United fan pundit has provided his thoughts on who is the player most desperately in need of a move in January.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

There are likely to be some Leeds United first-team squad members who head out of the club in January, with Joe Gelhardt among those tipped for a loan move.

Daniel Farke, a two-time promotion winner, has been tasked with restoring Leeds' Premier League status following a disappointing end to last season, which saw them fall short in the play-off final.

It appears as though he has a group of players that will be one of the favourites to go up automatically. That's despite the losses of key players, but some of their replacements have been exceptional to begin the 2024/25 campaign.

The Whites do not have the largest squad in the league, but there are still players too far down the pecking order wanting to go and play senior football or win game time elsewhere if they are struggling to get into Farke's plans consistently.

Not every player can play their part if they are seen as back up or depth in some areas, and some of them need to start playing more often, be that with Leeds or elsewhere.

The verdict on Joe Gelhardt needing a loan move

We asked FLW’s Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith for his thoughts on who is most in need of a loan move in January, and Joe Gelhardt was perhaps the obvious and most important answer, with the forward desperately needing to play regularly in the near future.

He said: "The strength in depth Leeds have in their attack, at the moment, is obviously a great thing for any Championship club looking for promotion.

"But it is bad news for someone like Joe Gelhardt. When he was breaking through under Marcelo Bielsa and then Jesse Marsch, he was the shining young talent of that team.

"He even helped us stay up in the Premier League. Since then, he has just really stagnated. He is getting no playing time since relegation.

"But he's also not had a loan move since we've gone down, either. It's just stalling his career.

"With January around the corner, you imagine that there's a queue of clubs forming for his signature already.

"Especially knowing he's not playing and that he'll surely be available.

"I'd be amazed if Gelhardt himself isn't going to Farke and telling him that he wants to go as soon as the window opens.

"The fact that he's not even making the squad for us right now underlines how we are wasting someone with bags of potential.

"It wasn't so long ago that he was seen as a potential future England international by Leeds fans. How much he has not developed and declined recently is worrying.

"You just hope that he may be able to tap into that somewhere else, because there is a player there."

Joe Gelhardt's short-term Leeds future in doubt

There have been reports that he has his eyes on a move away from Leeds in the January transfer window. MOT Leeds News have stated that he has made the decision to leave, while recent reports from The Yorkshire Evening Post state that he is looking to seek an exit from Leeds in the next transfer window after finding regular football difficult to come by for two seasons and amid interest in his services.

The report adds that some of those clubs, including two in Belgium, alongside Preston North End, Stoke City, Plymouth Argyle, and Rangers are keen on him. Football League World understands QPR are one of a number of clubs that have him on their radar ahead of next month, with Marti Cifuentes' side looking to strengthen in their quest to stay afloat in the English second tier.

With a total of nine minutes played in the Championship in the 2024/25 season, it is safe to say that it has not been the desired start to the season for Gelhardt. His only two appearances came in a 1-1 draw with Norwich and a 2-0 away victory at Sheffield Wednesday.

Injury has since seen him come out of the matchday squad altogether, with the 22-year-old struggling to build any kind of rhythm; Gelhardt is in desperate need of a loan switch in January before deciding on his long-term future in the summer.