"The chief issue I have" - Rangers name-dropped as ideal January landing spot for Leeds United player | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds United fan pundit hopes Joe Gelhardt moves to Rangers over any other linked club in January.

Joe Gelhardt has played just 72 minutes for Leeds United in the 2024/25 season, with the young forward now facing a pivotal decision in his career this January.

His one and only start came during a 3-0 EFL Cup defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough, with the 22-year-old coming on for nine minutes as a substitute in fixtures against Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City.

A hip issue has seen him miss action recently, but he was not always named in matchday squads prior to that issue, and is surely considering his future. Recent reports from the Yorkshire Evening Post state that Gelhardt is looking to seek an exit from Leeds in the next transfer window after finding regular football difficult to come by for two seasons with Daniel Farke.

The report adds that some of those clubs, including two in Belgium, alongside Preston North End, Stoke City, Plymouth Argyle, and Rangers, have retained interest in striking a loan deal for January. However, there have also been suggestions that a permanent move away will be hard to source.

Journalist Dan Bardell believes clubs will struggle to pay the amount needed to lure him away from the Whites permanently. Speaking about the player's future in an interview with MOT Leeds News. He outlined the likelihood is now a loan for Gelhardt in January, which is under a month away.

The verdict on Joe Gelhardt's next club

We asked FLW’s Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith for his thoughts on which of the outlined clubs would be the best step for Gelhardt in his career before potentially coming back to Leeds at some stage.

He said: "The chief issue I have with Joe Gelhardt, going into this January window, is that I don't think he has had a single manager since joining Leeds that has been able to play him consistently in his right position.

"He's not a lone striker, which is where he was often deployed under Jesse Marsch and Marcelo Bielsa when he first came in. He's not a number 10, which is where he has sometimes found himself under Daniel Farke.

"I do think the best role we could find for him is at a club where they play two up front, but how many actually do that anymore?

"It's the sort of formation that has fallen by the wayside, and no one uses two up front. I would like to see Gelhardt go to Plymouth, under Wayne Rooney, where he could learn from him.

"Gelhardt's style as a player matches a lot of what Rooney was like. Obviously, with the caveat that there is a wide contrast in ability, but I just doubt Rooney is there in January, so it's sort of a moot point.

"Other than that, I do think Rangers is the best sort of candidate for Gelhardt, to bring him on and develop him in that sense.

"He'd be playing for a side who will dominate a lot of the ball and create a lot of chances in the Scottish Premiership. I think that would help bring on his development a lot more than a relegation scrap in the EFL would, s ay with the likes of Plymouth, Portsmouth, and Preston."

Joe Gelhardt must decide his next steps carefully

Gelhardt is undoubtedly in need of a fresh start this January, as opposed to languishing within the reserves or on the fringes of the first-team with very little game time to speak of. His long-term future in West Yorkshire is unclear, with his development seriously stalling over the last couple of seasons.

There is promise there, and the Whites could instead seek a loan in order to get his career back on track, and he is surely in a position where the short-term has to be regular football. Beyond this season, Gelhardt is at a crossroads and must determine what is best for his career.

He had a positive enough loan spell with Sunderland previously, but is currently struggling to build any kind of rhythm game-to-game, which is the only way to help him achieve the enormous potential he had early in his career.