Hull City owner targets permanent Joe Gelhardt deal and plays down Leeds recall | OneFootball

"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, 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."

He was speaking to Hull Live.

"Gelhardt is a special boy," Ilicali said. "The fans know the story about how much he pushed to come here, plus how much he sacrificed to come back to Hull City."

Gelhardt returned in the summer after helping keep City in the Championship, choosing Hull over more lucrative offers. The 23-year-old has 10 goals and two assists in 19 appearances, including eight in 10 before a calf injury in the 4-1 home defeat by Middlesbrough early last month. He is expected to be back later in January.

City cannot turn his loan into a permanent move this month. If there are no further delayed payments, they would be able to operate as normal in the summer. Their strong league position keeps promotion in play, which could change the picture again.

"I don't think so because he's already injured," Ilicali said. "We have a good clean connection with Leeds United and, 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."

Source: Leeds Live