Hull City must use Leeds predicament to their advantage in Joe Gelhardt chase - one hurdle may arise though | OneFootball

Gelhardt has flourished on loan with the Tigers

Joe Gelhardt is currently in the midst of his richest vein of form for quite some time, with the 22-year-old continuing to flourish on loan at Hull City from Leeds United.

After bursting onto the Championship scene as a fresh-faced 17-year-old on the books of Wigan Athletic, there were many who tipped the Liverpudlian to follow a career trajectory which would see him reach some hefty heights as his development progressed.

That was proven when he put pen-to-paper at Elland Road for £1m just after Leeds ended their then-16-year exile from the top division under Marcelo Bielsa, although the bulk of his first-team minutes in West Yorkshire would come under Jesse Marsch, with Gelhardt best-known for his last-gasp winner against Norwich City in March 2022.

However, relegation from the Premier League would do the forward no favours, playing just 464 minutes across all competitions under Daniel Farke, with a solitary goal coming against Shrewsbury Town in the EFL Cup after sourcing regular gametime on loan with Sunderland.

Regardless, a move across the M62 provided a perfect synergy for Hull and Gelhardt, with the Tigers needing to improve their dynamism and output at the top end of the pitch, whilst providing a new lease of life for the 22-year-old.

Given how the loan agreement has panned out so far, there is already a clamour for the East Yorkshire club to strike a permanent deal at the end of the campaign. And, whilst that wouldn't be unrealistic to suggest, Hull could still face one hurdle in that regard.

Joe Gelhardt has flourished under Ruben Selles at Hull City

The MKM already held a special place in Gelhardt's heart, having netted his first senior goal in HU3 with a stunning finish for Wigan back in September 2019 in what was just his fourth-ever appearance.

Hull's struggles for goals this season have been evident, with just 38 goals in 37 games, also echoed by the fact that Gelhardt is now the joint-second top-scorer with three goals in 11 games, despite mainly being deployed out wide or in the 'Number 10' role, in which he has excelled in during a return of seven points from three games, delivering a standout performance in City's comeback victory over Oxford United on Wednesday night.

The forward's ball-carrying ability was instrumental in driving Hull up the pitch at speed alongside the likes of Abu Kamara, Matt Crooks and the influential substitutions of Kasey Palmer and Mason Burstow, with the former of those producing an inch-perfect through-ball into his path to slot home the equaliser on 73 minutes, just six minutes after Michal Helik had fired Oxford into the lead.

Of course, the main takeaway from the swift turnaround will surround Gustavo Puerta, with the Colombian midfielder seeing his match-winning effort deflect in off Jamie Cumming, before being dismissed in rather bizarre circumstances just seconds before the whistle.

However, that shouldn't deter the focus away from just how electric Gelhardt was in the 96 minutes of play, completing four out of his six dribbles, two of which saw him forge two individual chances on the edge of the box, as well as aiding City's defensive efforts to preserve a vital three-point haul in the relegation dogfight.

Hull City could face one potential hurdle in permanent Joe Gelhardt pursuit

Despite being under contract at Elland Road until the summer of 2027, a run of strong form has well and truly put Gelhardt in the shop window when it comes to the summer, with it looking highly unlikely that he will feature for the Whites again.

Given his contract situation, Leeds are in a strong position to demand a reasonable fee for his services, and one which would almost certainly see a profit made.

Selles, who is renowned for developing talent during his spells in charge of Southampton and Reading, has had the same impact on Gelhardt and previously stated two massive factors in why the attacker is performing to his maximum, although any talk of a permanent move is off the table until Hull's safety in the second tier is secured.

"He's playing regularly, he loves football, and he loves to play with his teammates. He has a couple of players with whom he already has a good relationship, so those two points are massive, and that's what I think," the Spaniard recently told Hull Live.

Gelhardt has also placed on record how much he enjoys featuring at the heart of such a fluid and energetic attacking system, which again makes it obvious for Hull to show their hand in the transfer market as soon as possible amid previous interest from the likes of relegation rivals, Luton Town.

The Tigers haven't been afraid to splash the cash under Acun Ilicali's ownership, but it remains to be seen whether they would meet a £15,000 per-week and £780,000 per-year salary in the long-term, with the Whites loanee currently the joint-fourth highest earner at the MKM based on Capology's estimated figures, with the likes of Steven Alzate, Joao Pedro and fellow loanee, Lincoln, in front of him in that regard.

It remains to be seen whether Lincoln will extend his stay after the end of the season, whilst Pedro's influence on the side has, understandably, raised questions about whether the 32-year-old's one-year extension will be taken up in the coming weeks and months.

Either way, Gelhardt has undoubtedly been Hull's best-performing January recruit and has endeared himself to supporters, who will hope to see a continuation of his impact in Black and Amber beyond the final day of the season.