Football
Exclusive: Hull City Desperate to Land Joe Gelhardt Permanently as Leeds Exit Looms
Hull City are eager to sign Leeds United loanee Joe Gelhardt permanently following his impressive spell with the Tigers this past season. Gelhardt's future is uncertain as he seeks regular playing time, with interest from other Championship clubs. Hull are also set to secure Gustavo Puerta on a permanent deal this summer.
Hull City AFC v Luton Town FC - Sky Bet Championship by Cameron Smith | Getty Images
Hull City are desperate to sign Leeds United loan forward Joe Gelhardt on a permanent deal, SportsBoom sources can reveal.
The 23-year-old impressed with five goals for the Tigers after arriving in the January transfer window.
But the Tigers narrowly avoided Championship relegation after a season to forget and the Yorkshire club know it will be tough to entice Gelhardt to play his football with them again next season, especially with manager Ruben Selles having recently been sacked.
Gelhardt finished the club’s joint-second top scorer and fitted in well during his time at the MKM Stadium, having found first-team chance at Leeds limited.
And with the Whites having achieved a memorable promotion back to the Premier League, Gelhardt’s chances of playing for the club have dwindled away even further.
The player is keen for a permanent move away from Elland Road to guarantee himself regular football.
But SportsBoom understands that a couple of Championship clubs have expressed an interest in his next move and are monitoring the situation.
ONE YEAR LEFT
Gelhardt, who is valued at roughly £3million, only has one year left on his Leeds contract.
The former Wigan Athletic graduate has represented England at Under-20, U18, U17 and U16 level and is regarded as a real talent for the future.
He joined a loan spell with Sunderland before his second loan spell being with Hull.
But Gelhardt is likely to have plenty of other offers to play Championship football, with interest expected to intensify in the next couple of months.
Meanwhile, the club are set to sign Bayern Leverkusen loan player Gustavo Puerta on a permanent deal this summer. The 21-year-old midfielder has agreed to sign a three-year deal with the Tigers.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.