"Would be a fantastic move" - Pundit touts Leeds United player to make Rangers switch in January | OneFootball

We asked Carlton Palmer about Rangers' loan interest in Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt

Carlton Palmer believes that letting Joe Gelhardt leave Leeds United in January is a sensible move, with a host of clubs interested in signing the 22-year-old.

Gelhardt has really struggled for playing time since Daniel Farke's arrival in the summer of 2023, and he's played just nine minutes of Championship football this season across two games, and hasn't made the matchday squad since the end of October.

The striker was once seen as a huge prospect at Leeds, having played quite regularly for them in the Premier League, but he's fallen down the pecking order in recent times with the likes of Joel Piroe, Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford all ahead of him, so a January move could be ideal.

However, TEAMtalk have reported that Gelhardt can go on loan in January, but Scottish giants Rangers are keen to sign him on a permanent basis, and with a contract at Elland Road until 2027, they may not meet his asking price.

Given Leeds want a loan exit only and Rangers want to sign him permanently, a loan-to-buy option has been mooted, and former Leeds midfielder Palmer believes that would be a sensible move all round.

Carlton Palmer on Rangers' interest in Joe Gelhardt

Former England midfielder Palmer, who played for Leeds United between 1994 and 1997, believes that Rangers will struggle to agree a deal to sign Gelhardt unless there's an option to buy at the end of it, but that a move away from Elland Road would benefit the 22-year-old's career.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said: "Joe Gelhardt, the young Leeds United centre-forward, has had very limited game time at Elland Road under Daniel Farke, so it makes sense that they allow him to go out on loan in January.

“I don’t believe that Daniel Farke will stand in his way, he has Joel Piroe, Patrick Bamford and Mateo Joseph in front of him in the pecking order at Elland Road, but he has stated that his priority is to get the club promoted and, unfortunately, players who haven’t been allowed to go out on loan have to stay in the building in case they pick up injuries.

“Obviously, Daniel Farke wants to see the young players progressing, but also he’s got to look at the basis of his job which is getting the club promoted.

“One of the clubs really keen on him is Glasgow Rangers. They would prefer to strike a permanent deal to take the forward to Ibrox rather than strike a loan deal, or they want a clause where they can buy him after taking him on loan, which is always a sensible thing to do, because if a player goes out on loan you want the player to do well, but if he does well you want to be in the position to be able to sign him.

“If you don’t have a clause agreed to that, then it becomes a problem, so I understand why clubs aren’t willing to take players unless there’s a clause in place to buy them.

“But there’ll be no shortage of offers for the 22-year-old centre-forward if he’s available for loan. Stoke City, Portsmouth, Plymouth Argyle and Preston North End all have an interest in him.

“This would be a fantastic move for the young boy as he needs to go out and play, and while he’s a prospect and has a long-term contract at the football club, so if he’s going to leave they’ll want a sizeable amount of money for him to go so it looks like a loan is the best path out of the football club to get some football at this period of time.”

Joe Gelhardt needs to leave Leeds United in January

Whether it's Rangers or one of the Championship clubs interested in him, Gelhardt simply has to leave Leeds United in January, whether that be on loan or on a permanent basis, for the benefit of his career.

The striker has played just three times this season, twice in the league, and the fact he struggles to even make the matchday squad suggests he doesn't feature in Farke's immediate plans.

It was a similar story last season, and he played just 10 Championship games, starting twice, but the emergence of Mateo Joseph has made it even harder for him to get a look in now.

At the age of 22, Gelhardt will want to be playing regular football somewhere, whether it's on the continent, in the Championship or in Scotland, and a fresh start is desperately needed in January.

It's been a torrid 18 months or so for Gelhardt since Farke's arrival, and a January move where he's guaranteed minutes is a necessity for the 22-year-old.