Rangers legend reacts amid links for Leeds United ace once likened to Rooney
Joe Gelhardt should not be high on Rangers’ priorities for a deal from Leeds United due to his lack of recent game time, according to Barry Ferguson.
Gelhardt – who has made just two cameo appearances in the Championship this season – has this week been linked with a loan switch to Ibrox to try his hand in the Scottish Premiership [TEAMtalk, 27 November].
The 22-year-old, once likened to Wayne Rooney by Merseyside Boys manager Tim Wyatt (Daily Maily, October 2021), is rooted at the bottom of Daniel Farke’s pecking order, resulting in a potential lack of match sharpness which ex-Rangers skipper Ferguson believes would not benefit the Glasgow side.
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show [27 November, 22:50] as quoted by Ibrox News [28 November], Ferguson said: “He’s not played much football this season for Leeds. It’s one that you need to wait and see.
“I think if Rangers are signing players, they need players who have been playing. You can do all the training you want, but the best fitness is playing games on a football pitch.
“He might need to catch up with that. I can’t really say I’ve seen much of him in action.”
Leeds United likely to seek Joe Gelhardt move
A combination of Farke’s attacking system and better luck in forward areas than further back on the field has meant Gelhardt has barely got a look-in for Leeds of late.
Despite his work-rate and versatility, he has been consigned to just eight minutes of league football as we prepare to enter December, meaning a January move is increasingly likely.
Gelhardt himself, who joined Leeds from Wigan Athletic in 2020, will be getting itchy feet at Elland Road as he looks not to waste his promising years on the sidelines.
Ferguson is viewing the potential Rangers move from his own former club’s perspective, and Philippe Clement’s side north of the border are experiencing a multitude of their own issues both on and off the pitch.
To sign Gelhardt on a potential loan-to-buy deal may work out best for all parties in the long run, with even the likes of Patrick Bamford still barely getting a run in the side.
The forward’s current contract in West Yorkshire runs until the summer of 2027, which could allow Leeds to eventually recoup a considerable profit on the £1million they spent to acquire his services from Wigan.
In other Leeds news, a potential dilemma for Farke on Manor Solomon for this weekend.
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