Of the players Leeds United loaned out in the summer window, Joe Gelhardt is by far and away the player in the best form. Back at Hull City, Gelhardt has been on fire until a recent injury.
The Leeds connection at Hull City is growing. Club captain Lewie Coyle came through the Thorp Arch academy and played 23 times at senior level before Leeds allowed Gelhardt to rejoin Hull in the summer.
Another Leeds academy product, Oli McBurnie, joined Hull in the summer before Darko Gyabi left Leeds to join Hull on a free. This week, James Debayo ended his search for a new club after leaving Elland Road.
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Gelhardt is the stellar name, though. In the summer, Leeds allowed six players to go on loan – Charlie Crew, Largie Ramazani, Mateo Joseph, Isaac Schmidt and Max Wober. But Gelhardt has been the best.
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In 20 appearances for Hull this season, Gelhardt has scored 10 goals and laid on three assists. All 10 have come in the Championship, but he only managed two in his first nine. He has eight goals in 10 games.
That was before his injury, which has ruled him out from the start of December. There were suggestions he could be recalled given Leeds’ poor form, or as Hull’s Daily Mail says, because Leeds could sell him.
But Hull owner Acun Ilicali tells the Hull DM that Gelhardt won’t return to Leeds in the January window: “I don’t think so because he’s already injured. We have a good clean connection with Leeds United.
“I’m sure that they’re happy that at the moment their player is happy. They’re doing better now in the Premier League, and I don’t expect them to call him back,” Ilicali says when asked about Gelhardt.
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The Tigers have been handed a transfer embargo until January 2027. It prevents Hull from spending money on players in transfer windows, limiting them to frees and loans, hence Gyabi being released.
“I think Gelhardt is a special person, and for us, our target is to be with him permanently, so he’s our own player. Of course, it is not something that is easy for us, but Jared and I did crazy things last summer.
“I can say that we are on form, and I give us a good chance. I believe that we have the strength and power to manage, to succeed, to bring Joe Gelhardt into our family permanently,” Ilicali continued.
Gelhardt still has 18 months left on his Leeds contract. While it looks likely that Gelhardt will stay put this month, it will be interesting to see what happens in the summer. Leeds may even want to reintegrate him.
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