Hull City will fear Leeds United action involving Joe Gelhardt - Tigers cannot offer what rivals can | OneFootball

Joe Gelhardt has been in fine form for Hull City which could attract interest in the forward come January

Joe Gelhardt has been in fine form for Hull City in recent weeks, but it could be to the Tigers' detriment come January if he's to continue firing.

For Leeds United forward Gelhardt, he has had to endure a tough time at Elland Road ever since Daniel Farke's arrival two seasons ago. With game time coming at a premium, it's no surprise that a loan move was the next best step in his career. However, very few could have predicted just how well his time on loan with Hull City would pan out.

The former England youth international had an immediate impact for the Tigers last season as he scored five times in 20 appearances, making him the joint-second top goalscorer at the club for the 2024/25 campaign.

After seeking to impress at the MKM Stadium, the 23-year-old made a return to the club back in August for a second loan stint and his time with the Tigers has just got better and better. With there seemingly being no way back for Gelhardt in a Leeds shirt, having gained promotion to the Premier League, the West Yorkshire side will be hoping to make some healthy profit on his services. If Gelhardt is to remain in-form, then that figure will only rise.

The 23-year-old is currently contracted to Leeds until the summer of 2027. However, if Gelhardt is to keep banging in the goals for Hull, then a termination of his loan deal could be on the horizon and Leeds could cash in on the youngster while his stock is sky-high.

Joe Gelhardt's fine form may well backfire on Hull City

Gelhardt has hit the ground running upon his return to Hull City after being thrown straight into action on the opening day against Coventry City. With no introduction needed to his teammates, Gelhardt has slotted straight into his natural position on the right whilst playing for the Tigers and continued where he left off with two neat finishes against Oxford United and Bristol City.

The link-up between himself and Oli McBurnie, the choice of Matt Crooks, Kasey Palmer and Joel Ndala in accompaniment, Sergej Jakirovic has an exciting attacking quartet on his hands and will sure be hoping to keep it intact as they currently exceed expectations of being just outside the play-offs.

With Gelhardt very much being a part of Jakirovic's starting XI, he has played 860 minutes so far this season and has been a constant threat on the right-wing, as highlighted by his form in front of goal. The 23-year-old has scored five goals and provided one assist in a dozen league appearances so far, which has seen him average 0.52 goals per 90, according to Fotmob.

As well as having a keen eye for goal, Gelhardt's creative side to his game has shone through in the 2025/26 season, as his cross accuracy average of 34.8% ranks amongst the highest of any winger in the division. And with a powerful presence like McBurnie, who has proven aerial abilities, his deliveries have been a real asset to the Tigers.

One cause for concern for Hull, however, is that with Gelhardt consistently producing high performance levels, Leeds could likely terminate his loan deal come January if there is interest from other clubs that are willing to pay a decent fee to land his services. With Hull under restrictions in terms of spending, the Tigers won't be able to pay a fee until next summer at the very least, meaning that they are vulnerable to losing the attacker, if not by January, then you would think by summer.

Hull City's play-off aspirations may take a hit if Joe Gelhardt's contract is terminated by Leeds United

With Hull City very much on the road to the play-offs after some impressive form in recent weeks, Gelhardt has been the driving force of that. The 23-year-old, after a solid start to his second campaign with the Tigers, has now kicked into life having scored in three games on the bounce.

An injury-time strike against Birmingham, a goal and assist against promotion candidates Leicester, and the opener against Charlton, have made Gelhardt one of the most feared attackers in the Championship. His goals have led to the Tigers being unbeaten in their last five league games, including three wins within that run.

After such a huge improvement from last season, having just avoided the drop by the narrowest of margins, Hull look a different side this season and losing the right-winger could severely damage their rhythm. Given how well he is currently doing in orange and black, if it weren't for the club's transfer restrictions in terms of spending, then you'd seem to think that Hull would want to lock up his services for the foreseeable future.

But with that possibility out of the question, it wouldn't come as a surprise if top Championship clubs come sniffing around for his signature in a few months time.

As for the here and now, if Gelhardt is to land Leeds a healthy sum of money, then doing his talking on the pitch is the only way that will happen. With five goals to his name already, the golden boot is on the table as a possibility but, from Hull's perspective, Gelhardt could be the difference in clinching a play-off spot despite being an outside shout for the top six.