
The striker position at Leeds United is a topic of discussion after their scoreless draw against Bristol City this past weekend. After the match, BBC pundit Jon Newsome pointed out that manager Daniel Farke hasn’t yet found his ideal number nine this season.
Although Farke has said that Patrick Bamford will get his chance to make an impact, Newsome hinted on BBC Radio Leeds that after another underwhelming performance, Bamford may soon be looking for more playing time.
Newsome also addressed Joe Gelhardt, suggesting that he should consider leaving Leeds United to find regular playing time elsewhere.
Joe Gelhardt’s future in doubt at Leeds United

Joe Gelhardt. Credit: Imago Images
When asked about Gelhardt’s potential departure from Elland Road in January, Kris Smith, FLW’s Leeds United expert, expressed that he doesn’t see a future for the striker at the club.
“It is such a shame to see how Joe Gelhardt has gone from a breakthrough under Marcelo Bielsa where he looked like the second coming of Wayne Rooney to now under Daniel Farke, barely playing at all, even off the bench,” Smith said.
“I do think there are a few reasons for that, one of them is the changes in managers since he came into the team in 2022, which has not helped him gain any momentum or regular playing time. Under Farke right now, he doesn’t fit into a 4-2-3-1 set up.
“He’s not a lone striker or a number nine, so he can’t play with his back to goal, and he’s not a number 10 who can demonstrate the creative sides of his game. The only other position I think he could feasibly play is as a right-winger, but he doesn’t have the pace to do that.
“Even if he is the closest to that in terms of a role, I just don’t see how that’s going to be his long-term position for Leeds, it’s never going to work out for him here unfortunately. With Largie Ramazani out for another month and Manor Solomon looking perennially unfit, I wouldn’t be too hasty with letting Gelhardt go out on loan and making that decision right now.
“But by January I do think it’s going to be inevitable with Ramazani’s back, and potentially we might look at signing another attacking midfielder. There might be a handful of clubs in this league that might be able to make it work for Gelhardt, including Wayne Rooney himself at Plymouth. For me, it is just such a shame because there’s clearly a really talented player there, but I just don’t see how Leeds make it work.”
The 22-year-old has been excluded from the matchday squad for three of the Whites’ 12 league games this season, with Joel Piroe, Mateo Joseph, and Patrick Bamford all getting the nod ahead of him. This situation suggests that a move could be likely in January.
