Sunderland have pipped a host of Championship rivals for Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardt, with the 20-year-old set to sign for the Black Cats until the end of the season.

That is according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, who has claimed that the two clubs have agreed a deal to send the youngster to the Stadium of Light until the Wearsiders' Championship campaign has finished.

And it will be a major blow to the likes of Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough, Swansea City and Stoke, who were among the many second tier outfits that had signalled their intentions to bring Gelhardt to their club this month.

The Athletic reported last week that Gelhardt's favoured move was a return to his former club Wigan, who he left in 2020 for Elland Road in the midst of the Latics' financial troubles.

 

 

 

 

But he will head for a potential promotion battle with Sunderland, who had to see another loanee in the form of Ellis Simms be recalled by Everton at the start of the month, but have now replaced him like-for-like with Gelhardt, who has featured 19 times for Leeds this season with three assists to his name.

The Verdict

Considering the amount of clubs that were in for Gelhardt, this is a real coup for Sunderland.

Able to cut in off the right or play through the middle, Gelhardt is an exciting, quick player who should cope very well with the step down from the Premier League to the Championship.

Regular game-time is what 'Joffy' needs, not small cameos from the bench for Leeds, and you'd expect him to get plenty of game-time at the Stadium of Light despite strong competition for places in the final third.

Gelhardt's goal record in senior football shouldn't be anything to worry about either - he has rarely hit the back of the net yet but that should improve with the chances he should get at Sunderland.