£10m valuation claim made on Joe Gelhardt amid potential Hull City, Leeds United deal | OneFootball

Joe Gelhardt's future at the MKM Stadium has been widely discussed in recent weeks

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

A fresh valuation claim has been made on Hull City's current loan ace, Joe Gelhardt, whose long-term future with either the Tigers or parent club, Leeds United, has been widely discussed throughout the campaign thus far.

Gelhardt returned to the MKM Stadium in August under City's newly-appointed Bosnian head coach, Sergej Jakirovic, after initially moving across the M62 12 months ago under the management of his predecessor, Ruben Selles, on a loan basis for the second half of last season.

Ultimately, it was an extremely smart piece of business from the Spaniard to strike the first of those two loan moves, with the former England youth international finding the back of the net five times in just 20 appearances to ensure the club's survival in the Championship on goal difference.

Many supporters, though, were left concerned when Jakirovic's reign began with a two-window transfer fee restriction, meaning only free transfers and loan deals without any additional fees could be struck by City, before being fully ratified by the governing body.

Despite there being initial concerns that Gelhardt would not be returning to the MKM after a wage hike in his Whites contract after their Championship title success under Daniel Farke, the Liverpudlian's second stint began on the opening day of the season, and he and City have rarely looked back.

Whilst Gelhardt is currently sidelined through a calf issue, he is expected to be back before the end of January, with the Tigers hopeful their 10-goal man can continue to make a difference in their unexpected play-off bid, as they remain firmly in the hunt despite a major injury crisis.

Unsurprisingly, there has been clamour from Tigers supporters to see a permanent deal struck at the end of the season, although Football League World's Hull City fan pundit, Cameron Gibson, believes a fee of up to £10m could be required to do so.

In a roundabout way, Gelhardt's own career cannot be discussed without mentioning Hull full-stop, with the forward gaining attention as a 17-year-old for his stunning equaliser against the Tigers for Wigan Athletic in September 2019.

After the Latics were relegated the following summer after entering administration, it was Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds who moved quickest to secure the forward's services for £1m.

Since then, Gelhardt has made 57 appearances for the Whites, scoring three times and providing seven assists, although he is likely to come close to, if not overtake, such an appearance total for Hull if he is to stay fit upon his return from injury.

Ahead of his current 10-goal haul for the campaign, City were able to fend off interest from Middlesbrough for the 23-year-old, and have been backed to eventually land his services in the long-term once their restrictions end at the end of the current transfer window.

"It won't be until the summer because of our transfer embargo. But, if Hull City were to go for Joe Gelhardt, I would expect a bid of about £5m-6m," Gibson said initially.

"If I look at players we've bought in the past, (Abdus) Omur, Abu Kamara and (Dogukan) Sinik, we've spent £4-5m on them, and they've not worked out.

"If we're in the Championship next season, we might have to offer £6-8m," he added. "But, quite easily, a promoted team could offer £10m, £15m, £20m for him.

"Any player who scores double-figures in the Championship, who's English and relatively young, tends to be above £6-8m and is touching £10m.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that's what's required," Gibson explained.

"But, if Gelhardt only wants to join Hull City, and we can offer what we can offer, Leeds have got a decision to make.

"Do they continue paying his wages and wait for his contract to run down, or do they allow Hull City to buy him for a cut-price to get him off the wage bill?

"If Hull City are serious about being a 'big dog' in the Championship and going for promotion, you need to be signing players like Joe Gelhardt," he stated.

"Obviously, it depends on the competition out there. We know we're not the biggest club in the league, but he seems to be happy here, he seemed to want to come back here, and he's got a lot of friends in the dressing room.

"If we can keep Charlie Hughes, Kyle Joseph and the other players he's bonded with, we have as good a chance as anybody (of signing Gelhardt)."

Acun Ilicali hopes Hull City can sign Joe Gelhardt permanently amid Leeds United decision

It has been widely reported that the Tigers are hoping to sign Gelhardt permanently in the summer, with his deal at Elland Road expiring in 18 months time.

Although there has been no hint of what potential fee could be required, City supporters will have been encouraged by Acun Ilicali's recent stance on the matter.

"The fans know the story about how much he pushed to come here, plus how much he sacrificed to come back to Hull City," he said.

"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 (Dublin) and I did crazy things last summer, and 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."