Leeds United man will be hoping Celtic or West Brom transfer interest returns: View | OneFootball

Joe Gelhardt might have thought that relegation to the Championship with Leeds United would have enabled him to play more often, but that's been far from the case so far this season.

It's clear to see that Leeds have plenty of strength in depth at the top of the pitch, but Gelhardt has shown signs in the past that he could be a useful asset for the club, and most people would have expected him to kick on in the Championship.

However, as it stands, Gelhardt has struggled to make the matchday squad for Leeds in recent weeks thanks to the emergence of Mateo Joseph, and regardless of whether the club are promoted or not in the summer, surely a move is needed for the 21-year-old striker.

Joe Gelhardt will be hoping that Celtic and West Brom are interested in him again this summer

In total, Gelhardt has played just eight Championship games for the Whites this season, starting just twice, in games two and three of the season, and has played 172 minutes of football.

It's clear that Daniel Farke doesn't fancy him. That comes after Gelhardt played semi-regularly during the first-half of the 2022/23 season at Leeds in the Premier League under Jesse Marsh before his loan move to Sunderland.

Despite his lack of gametime at Leeds this season, the 21-year-old has attracted plenty of interest in the past.

According to Alan Nixon, Gelhardt was the subject of January transfer interest from Scottish giants Celtic, whilst Leeds' Championship rivals West Brom were also keen on the forward, according to the Yorkshire Post.

Gelhardt should hope clubs of this stature are interested in him again come the summer, and he really should be pushing for a move away after a second-half of the season which has seen him play just four league minutes since the January window shut.

In hindsight, it seems a strange decision for Leeds not to allow the former Wigan man to leave in January, but with the club pushing for promotion, perhaps Farke didn't want to risk running out of bodies had they suffered a few injuries.

Joseph has also really kicked on recently, which means that Gelhardt has fallen down the pecking order. Had Farke been aware of this, he may well have allowed the player to leave in January.

A move to a club like West Brom or Celtic would mean that he's still playing for a big club at a good level, and anything would be better for Gelhardt's career than not making the bench for Leeds.

Joe Gelhardt needs to leave Leeds United in the summer

The 21-year-old has been around for a good few years, so he feels a lot older than he is.

He made his Championship debut in April 2019 when he was just 16, so he's clearly a player full of potential.

He also has 35 Premier League appearances to his name, which shows that he's too good a player not to feature in Leeds' matchday squads in the Championship.

A move to a fellow Championship club like West Brom or a club like Celtic, competing for silverware north of the border, could help reignite his career and give him the regular football he desperately needs.

Gelhardt has fallen out of favour at Elland Road, and he's wasting valuable time when he should be playing regularly. If his current situation doesn't improve, he surely has no option but to force a move in the summer for the benefit of his career.