Leeds United have made a strong start to the summer, bringing in three high-quality additions in Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic and James Trafford.
The Whites moved quickly to get Wilson on a free transfer, beating competition from several Premier League and European clubs.
They then spent £34m to sign Muharemovic from Sassuolo last month, with the defender having other offers available before deciding to move to Elland Road.
Leeds followed that up by breaking their transfer record to bring England goalkeeper James Trafford in from Manchester City for £45m. With that major piece of business now complete, the club’s focus has shifted towards trimming the squad and finding new homes for players who are no longer part of Daniel Farke’s plans.
Read More: English club begin talks with plans to launch transfer move for Leeds star
The Whites forward set to join relegation rivals
Joe Gelhardt spent last season on loan at Hull City and played a huge role in helping them to come up to the Premier League from the Championship.
Hull have been expected to sign him on a permanent deal, but recent developments suggested that he could be returning to the Championship this summer.
Birmingham City made a push to sign him, and Wrexham have identified him as one of their priority attacking targets for the ongoing window.
However, according to the Hull Daily Mail, the Tigers have stepped in and are pressing to sign him on a permanent deal in the coming days.
Hull are keen to take him back to the MKM Stadium and are now pushing to finalise a deal with Leeds to sign Gelhardt this summer.
Sergej Jakirovic, the Hull boss, has confirmed that it is only a matter of time before the forward returns to the club in the ongoing window.
He said on BBC Radio Humberside: “There is no doubt about Joe Gelhardt, because he proved everything on the pitch.
“Last season’s contribution- how many goals? 15 and seven assists.
“He loves Hull City, he wants to be here, and this is just a matter of time before we will finish the job.
“And we will finish the job.”
Joe Gelhardt deserves to join the club of his choice
Joe Gelhardt has arguably enjoyed the most consistent spell of his senior career since joining Hull City, and the forward has made no secret of his desire to turn the loan move into a permanent transfer.
The 24-year-old no longer features in Daniel Farke’s long-term plans at Leeds United after struggling to establish himself in the first team before heading out on loan.
Gelhardt has become an important player for Hull, while the Tigers’ promotion to the Premier League has also put them in a stronger financial position. Leeds are therefore justified in holding out for a fair fee.
However, there are still good reasons for the Whites to get the deal done allow the forward to join the club of his choice, where he finally looked happy and settled last season.
Not much optimism if you have already decided that Leeds will be battling for survival this coming season. Most people have them to be knocking on the top half of the leagues door. You have them in a relegation battle.