Joe Gelhardt may be closer to Leeds United exit after Patrick Bamford news
Joe Gelhardt may have taken a step closer to an exit from Leeds United after Patrick Bamford is expected to return from an injury against Southampton, according to the BBC.
Bamford had injured his hamstring in a pre-season friendly against Hearts, but his return will now force Gelhardt even further down the pecking order when it comes to Daniel Farke’s options up front.
The striker was linked to a possible move away from Elland Road over the summer, with TEAMtalk [1 September] sharing that Leeds rejected a late offer from Ipswich Town for his services. Now, though, an exit could be back on.
Gelhardt featured in Leeds’ first four games of the season, starting three of those. Since then, he has played a combined total of six minutes [Sofascore], largely due to the emergence of Joel Piroe and Geoginio Rutter as the preferred attacking starters.
Bamford’s return will likely see him take his place as the backup for either of the previously mentioned attackers, with his ability to link play as well as provide the goals, as he has proven at Championship level, meaning he would be the ideal replacement for either Piroe or Rutter.
The exit-linked attacker has been trialled both as a striker and a number ten in Farke’s system but has failed to shine enough in either role to warrant a starting place, and he was left on the bench for three of their last four games.
Now may be the time for Leeds to cut ties with the striker who has failed to live up to the promise he once showed at Elland Road, with his cameo performances last season a highlight of a dark year, but falling out of favour with a new boss is always a difficult road to come back from.
In other Leeds United news, a BBC pundit has dropped his promotion verdict.