Joe Gelhardt will not be heading out of Leeds United on loan after agreeing a four-year contract with the Whites.

Leeds swooped to sign Gelhardt from Wigan Athletic, taking advantage of the Latics’ administration and subsequent relegation into League One.

Last night, it was confirmed that Gelhardt had signed for the Whites on a four-year deal, costing the Premier League newbies an undisclosed fee.

Quiz: Do you remember which club Leeds United signed these 15 players from?

As per Alan Nixon, there’s no plans to loan Gelhardt back out into the EFL immediately, as Leeds plan for their first taste of Premier League football in 16 years.

Gelhardt broke onto the scene in 2018/19 for Wigan, but his role within Paul Cook’s first-team stepped up a gear in the season just gone.

In 2019/20, the 18-year-old striker made 19 appearances, including two starts for the Latics.

He bagged his first goal for the club in a 2-2 draw with Hull City in September, turning well in the area before unleashing a fierce left-footed finish to secure a point at a time Cook’s side were trailing.

The Verdict  

It’s going to be interesting to see what Leeds’ plan for Gelhardt is.

First of all, you’ve got to imagine that Marcelo Bielsa will put him through a strict fitness regime, with the view of seeing how well suited he is to ‘Bielsaball’.

From there, Leeds will make a decision on the first-half of the season and, in my eyes, we will see the teenager playing some under-23 football.

There is a chance for him to break into the first-team, though. Bielsa isn’t afraid to turn to youth and there’s plenty of evidence of that from the past two seasons.

Thoughts? Let us know!