Swansea City front runners to sign Joe Gelhardt from Leeds United
Thursday, 26th Jan 2023 15:47 by Keith Haynes

After much speculation that Leeds forward Joe Gelhardt is on his way back to his old club Wigan on loan this month that now seems to be very much on hold. Swansea City have pushed their way back in to contention after contact over the last twenty four hours and it seems they could land the twenty year old over the weekend.

Incidentally the fact Michael Obafemi is on the move to Burnley and the Swans see Liverpool born Gelhardt as a replacement for him has wet his appetite to talk further with Josh Marsh and Russell Martin. The loan will come with a considerable fee plus Gelhardt we are told is on £17,000 a week salary. How that pans out in the final figures is down to negotiation but either way this player won’t come cheap. That’s a bit of a gamble for the Swans as Gelhardt has only made one start this season but in his defence he has made fifteen appearances. Those games have seen him contribute two assists but no goals.

Gelhardt has played thirty five games for Leeds over two years or so scoring two goals. At England level he has played at five levels to under twenty scoring twenty one goals in twenty seven games.

Swans Indie View
Joe Gelhardt Is a promising player, however he hasn’t set the goal scoring charts alight in his career as yet, he scored one goal in nineteen championship appearances for Wigan Athletic. And we have covered his record in this piece. It could well be the Swans are just the club he needs to kick start his goal scoring career. However, he is a gamble, and will be an expensive one to boot, especially if Swans fans see him as the answer to score more goals. It’s very much a fifty fifty shout. When we look at Rhian Brewster and his time at Swansea on loan from Liverpool we do see some comparisons. If Joe can emulate Rhian then of course the loan if it comes off will be a success.

Update ** The stumbling block seems to be the demands Leeds place on any club taking him on loan. Sunderland have agreed to those demands and that’s where he has gone.