Leeds United are in the middle of a tight promotion race and have eight games to ensure that they earn an automatic entry to next season’s Premier League. However, regardless of promotion, the club will have decisions to make on certain players in the summer. Promotion would mean more money to spend in the summer but Leeds would still need to bring in significant sums from outgoings to ensure they remain on the right side of the financial rules. Certain players will be deemed surplus to requirements if the Whites get promoted but there are question marks on the future of a few personnel who are still young enough to develop into something really good in the coming years.
The Whites have decisions to make on the future of a number of players in the summer transfer window but they will wait until securing automatic promotion to the Premier League.
It seems Leeds United have already made the call to try and sign Manor Solomon on a permanent deal but need to wait until ensuring that they are in the Premier League next season.
Junior Firpo is also nearing the end of his contract and Leeds will have to decide whether they offer him a new deal or try to sign a new left-back, which should cost a significant sum in terms of transfer fee and wages.
The Yorkshire giants also have a key call to make on Joe Rothwell, who is on loan from Bournemouth, with many insisting that he should get a chance to play in the Premier League if Leeds get promoted.
Leeds will also have to decide on the future of several of their own loanees who are set to return in the summer and one of them is already winning hearts at his loan club this season.
‘No-brainer’ – Journalist tips attacker to move on from Leeds United
Gelhardt played little to no football in the first half of the season at Leeds even when Mateo Joseph was struggling to become the goalscorer that Daniel Farke thought he would become.
It was no surprise to see the forward leave Leeds on loan in the winter window to join Hull City where he found a manager in Ruben Selles who was prepared to trust him and play him in different positions this season.
Gelhardt has scored twice in his last four appearances and the Tigers are dragging themselves away from the relegation zone after putting together a run of two wins and two draws in the last four fixtures.
Hull are said to be keen on signing Gelhardt on a permanent deal and journalist Chris Dunlavy feels it makes sense for the forward to join the Tigers on a permanent deal.
He believes the attacker will again be on the fringes of the squad at Leeds if they get promoted and Hull have the funds to secure a deal to sign him in the summer.
“Since joining Leeds from Wigan in 2020, the 22-year-old has never looked remotely close to competing for a regular first-team berth and would be surplus to requirements in the Premier League if the Whites went uo”, Dunlavy wrote on the Football League Paper (cited by The 72)
“Hull have lacked a hard-working creator of Gelhardt’s ilk for much of the past two years, and, crucially, have the money to make a deal happen.
“It feels like a no-brainer.”
Gelhardt leaving Leeds makes sense for everyone
The 22-year-old forward is thriving at Hull where Selles has been willing to play him in different positions to keep him in the team constantly.
The attacker has also repaid the faith shown in him by being consistent and looking sharper than ever for a Hull team who are battling to keep themselves alive.
At Leeds, he failed to convince Daniel Farke that he deserved a shot in the team even when the other forwards were failing to do their job in the first team.
Can you name the Leeds game these 10 goal celebrations are from?
For some reason, the Leeds boss never really trusted the attacker and it meant that Gelhard went months without getting any game time for Leeds.
It seems unlikely that the Leeds manager will change his mind on the forward no matter how well he plays at Hull until the end of the season.
Selles likes him, Hull fans love him and the club are keen to sign him. It makes zero sense for Gelhard to return to Elland Road in the summer.
