Further details of Joe Gelhardt transfer situation at Leeds United emerge | OneFootball

Joe Gelhardt is targeting a loan move away from Elland Road in January due to a lack of game time under Daniel Farke.

Joe Gelhardt has his eyes on a move away from Leeds United in the January transfer window.

Reports coming from MOT Leeds News have stated that Gelhardt has made the decision to leave the club on loan in January. The 22-year-old Englishman has often struggled for game time at Leeds, spending the last six months of the 2022/23 season on loan at Sunderland.

Gelhardt eyeing Leeds exit door

The striker has struggled for minutes in 2024/25 - a regular trend

It has been made clear that the forward wants another loan move away from the club to get regular playing time and finally establish himself at a high level.

Daniel Farke has not handed Gelhardt a single start in a Championship game this season, with reports from MOT Leeds News now suggesting that the former Wigan Athletic striker has his eyes firmly on the exit door.

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 to Norwich and a 2-0 away victory at Sheffield Wednesday. However, sadly for the striker, this is a scenario with which he will have become well acquainted in recent years, despite a promising breakthrough under Marcelo Bielsa in 2021/22.

Gelhardt's game-time was no better last season. Throughout Leeds' Championship campaign, the Englishman made just ten appearances, starting two matches and playing a total of 205 minutes. As an up-and-coming player who has bags of ability, a lack of game time is arguably the worst thing for his development.

However, with a plethora of top strikers at the club, it was always going to be challenging for Gelhardt to establish himself at Leeds. The emergence of Spanish starlet Mateo Joseph has done the player no favours, as he is now fourth in the pecking order behind Joseph, Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford.

Gelhardt needs to leave Elland Road

It's time for Leeds to allow him to establish himself elsewhere

As proven by his loan spell at the Stadium of Light, an escape from Elland Road may be the only way for Gelhardt to continue his development. The striker racked up 18 appearances during his sixth months with Sunderland, scoring three goals and assisting a further three.

Although it is unclear if another Championship club would be a keen suitor for Gelhardt, the prospect of dropping down a league in order to gain playing experience would surely be preferable to regular exclusion from Leeds' matchday squad.

At the age of 22, there is luckily still time for Gelhardt to get his career back on track, and his desire to force a move away from Leeds would appear to be a step in the right direction. His contract runs until the summer of 2027, but there seems to be little chance of him becoming a regular starter at the club in either the Championship or Premier League, should the club win promotion.

Daniel Farke seems firmly set on his decision that the striker is purely a backup, which makes it understandable as to his frustrations and desire to exit. He has made only 16 appearances for the club since returning from his loan spell in June 2023. Now is the time for Gelhardt to end his relationship with the club and return to playing regular football, whether that's on loan or permanently.