Rangers Tipped As Frontrunners To Sign This Leeds United Player: A No Brainer For Rohl? | OneFootball

Rangers arrive at the tail end of April in a state of genuine possibility. Danny Röhl took over at Ibrox in October 2025, inheriting a club that sat 13 points off the pace, and has since dragged them back into a Scottish Premiership title race that nobody anticipated being this close. Rangers moved top of the league after a 4–2 win over Dundee United last weekend, and the fans are genuinely anticipating something big.

The Ibrox club have taken the most points of any team in the top flight since Röhl replaced Russell Martin in October. This turnaround has left pundits scrambling to revise their assessments of the club’s trajectory. Throw Europa League football, silverware ambitions, and a freshly motivated squad into the mix, and Rangers become a credible, even attractive, destination for any forward seeking a stage.

Mick Brown Names Rangers as Front-Runners for Gelhardt

With this in mind, Football Insider reported this week that former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown believes Joe Gelhardt is keen to join Rangers in the summer, naming the Ibrox club as the leading contenders ahead of other interested parties. Brown stated that Gelhardt will not return to Elland Road and views a move to Scotland as a natural next step given the promise of European football and genuine competition for trophies.

“Rangers would be a good destination for Gelhardt,” Brown told Football Insider.

“He’s not going to stay at Leeds; it’s time for him to move on, so he has to weigh up his options and decide where he wants his next move to be.

“Rangers will be able to offer European football, competing for silverware, and it’s a step down from the Premier League, where he has struggled in the past.

“It’s a move Gelhardt is keen to make because of that, he would do well in Scotland and playing for one of the top clubs there is always a big deal.

“Compared to somewhere like Hull, for example, if they’re still in the Championship, and they’re not likely to compete for trophies.

“Rangers are the front-runners for this deal because of that, so if they want to make a move, it won’t take much convincing on the players’ side.”

The numbers support the interest entirely. Joe Gelhardt has scored 13 goals in 34 matches so far in the Championship 2025/2026 season. 7 of the 13 goals were scored at home, while he scored 6 goals in away games. Overall, Joe Gelhardt’s goals scored per 90 minutes are 0.46. Moreover, Joe Gelhardt’s total G/A (goals + assists) is 17 for this season. His goal involvement equates to 0.61 per 90 minutes. His Non-Penalty xG per 90 minutes is 0.44. This puts Joe Gelhardt’s npxG output at 12.27, which puts him in the top 95th percentile of Championship players. (Via Footy Stats)

Hull retain hopes of promotion, but if they fail to go up, his departure will likely happen much sooner.

Would Gelhardt Actually Improve Rangers, or Is This Simply Convenient Timing?

HULL, ENGLAND – MARCH 07: Joe Gelhardt of Hull City looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City and Millwall at MKM Stadium on March 07, 2026 in Hull, England. (Photo by Tony King/Getty Images)

Here is the honest question that Rangers supporters should ask before getting swept up in the excitement: Does Gelhardt solve a real problem, or does he just fit a narrative? Looking at the facts, the answer leans toward the former, but only if Röhl uses him correctly. Gelhardt is a goalscorer who operates with urgency and directness, attributes that suit a team built on pressing and transition, which is exactly what Röhl has built at Ibrox.

Bojan Miovski faces an uncertain future at the club following an inconsistent season, which creates a vacancy at the top of the pitch that Gelhardt, in his current form, is ready to step into. The Scottish Premiership would suit his physicality and his willingness to run channels far better than the Premier League ever did.

Rangers would not be settling for Gelhardt at 23; with this kind of Championship output, they would be acquiring a player entering the best years of his development. The move makes sense on both sides, and Brown’s confidence that the player needs little convincing only reinforces it.