Leeds United‘s start to the Championship season, when taken in isolation, marks a torrid start towards earning their goal of an instant Premier League return.
They have won just once in five attempts, and the summer window just gone saw them lose plenty of their star men, including Tyler Adams, Luis Sinisterra and Rodrigo.
However, when delving deeper, it is worth noting that not only have the Whites actually played well in those fixtures, but they also recruited shrewdly in the market to plug those holes created. Amidst all the turmoil, Daniel Farke has actually come out the other side relatively unscathed and is now surely ready to truly kickstart their league campaign.
He has a wealth of talent at his fingertips, both young and old, and should the German find the perfect blend whilst mixing around his starting side, it could prove devastating for the rest of the division.
It is likely that the former will uphold his side though, with the likes of Archie Gray, Wilfried Gnonto, Crysenco Summerville and Jamie Shackleton all growing into mainstays despite their inexperience.
A truly bright future is on the horizon once again at Elland Road, with this newfound hope sure to spur on a year of excitement rather than the gloomy period they endured in the English top flight.
Who are Leeds United’s best young players?
With such a starring cast of thrilling youngsters, it marks a very difficult task to choose just one as the outstanding player.
Wilfried Gnonto was the recipient of plenty of interest over the summer, with a £25m bid having even been turned away such was his value to the club. Meanwhile, Gray has been ever-present in the midfield, with the 17-year-old general providing the foundation for Summerville to have enjoyed a frightening start to the new term.
Even Shackleton, who was perhaps a forgotten man after his quiet loan spell last season, has announced himself as a creative utility man capable of deputising in a number of roles.
However, perhaps one of their brightest talents is one which has already performed in the Premier League, and should he be given a chance, would surely be able to lead them back to that level. Joe Gelhardt is the young finisher Farke is craving.
Having joined under Marcelo Bielsa’s leadership, the 21-year-old marksman has remained throughout numerous different managers now, having featured for most as a clinical youngster with an exciting future.
The forward was instrumental during the 2021/22 campaign where they narrowly avoided the drop, as his two goals and four assists in the league game at crucial moments to earn them survival.
Then, having been sent out on loan the year following as his chances dwindled, he scored three and assisted three across just 16 Championship starts with Sunderland.
Such persistent proficiency was always bound to draw praise, with journalist Phil Hay even branding him a “goal machine“.
This kind of acknowledgement from such a well-respected writer should go a long way towards painting the picture of Gelhardt’s talent, which has been well-documented given his meteoric rise to the top of the game.
How much was Joe Gelhardt worth at Wigan Athletic?
However, the Liverpool-born finisher was not a true product of the Whites’ infamous academy, with Thorp Arch not quite able to take the plaudits for his production.
It was instead Wigan Athletic who handed the youngster the platform to shine, as his five goals in as many U18s games earned him 21 first-team appearances before his eventual sale.
To emphasise just how far Gelhardt has come, it is worth outlining that Football Transfers valued Leeds’ number 30 at just €70k (£60k) in 2019, the year before he moved. Unsurprisingly, his exposure and instant adaptation to top-level football with the Yorkshire outfit has seen that figure skyrocket.
How much did Leeds United sign Joe Gelhardt for?
As the Latics were plagued by crippling financial issues, the likes of which saw them earn points deductions that would send them spiralling out of the Championship, Leeds were one of the beneficiaries who swooped in to acquire their talent for a cut price.
It was impossible for a club in administration to turn down the £1m that Bielsa had offered, and so the young striker moved in the hope that the fee he attained would aid his former employers in their survival bid.
Although the DW Stadium outfit have bounced between the second tier and League One for the past few years, at the very least Shaun Maloney seems set to offer some stability to an institution that has been sorely lacking it in recent memory.
What is Joe Gelhardt’s market value now?
To gauge the growth of Gelhardt, it is worth viewing the change in his value, which can be affected by a number of different factors.
His age, the level which he has and currently plays at, nationality and skill level all come into play, but given how lowly Football Transfers once valued him, it is certain that a profit can be guaranteed.
|
Joe Gelhardt’s years at Leeds United |
Value at the time (via Football Transfers) |
Percentage change from previous year |
|---|---|---|
|
2023 |
€14.7m (£12.6m) |
58% increase |
|
2022 |
€9.8m (£8.4m) |
65% increase |
|
2021 |
€4.9m (£4.2m) |
136% increase |
|
2020 |
€1m (£860k) |
N/A |
That is certainly the case when viewing Football Transfer’s expected Transfer Value (xTV) for the starlet, which seeks to estimate an accurate fee that might be paid in the current market for a player’s services.
The €14.7m (£12.6m) figure they have handed him is a fair representation of his current level and the potential he holds to star in the near future.
In total, across a senior career that has largely spanned across the two valuations mentioned, the 5 foot 9 poacher has seen an 1160% increase in value. Bielsa certainly worked wonders with this deal.
Why is Joe Gelhardt worth that much?
To outline why Gelhardt has seen his valuation soar in such a manner is just to hear the glowing commendation sent his way by former employers and current ones.
Paul Cook, who managed over him at Wigan, was one of the first to issue such glowing praise: “He’s got that unique talent to find space in a telephone box. He’s such a natural, good footballer. To get a goal like that in front of his own fans was a special moment.
“A lot of young footballers coming into the game are not very nice people. We’re just lucky to have a boy with his humility playing for us – the game is easy for him. He’ll be starting soon if he carries on like that. He’s a young boy that needs minding though. It’s a very special goal from a very special player.”
Given his growth since then, which is well laid out by these aforementioned shifts in valuation, it remains to be seen just how high Gelhardt could go under Leeds’ new leadership.
