Pundit Alan Hutton has been reacting to news linking Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardt with a move away if the Whites suffer relegation, Football Insider report.
The Lowdown: Summer exit?
Gelhardt has made 19 Premier League appearances for Leeds this season, the last of which came against Brighton on Sunday.
The 20-year-old produced a moment of magic to set up Pascal Struijk’s equaliser in stoppage time, his sixth goal contribution in the top flight, which took Leeds out of the bottom three before Burnley's point on Thursday night.
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Jesse Marsch’s side are still in danger of relegation, though, and reports earlier this month claimed that top flight rivals will look to poach Gelhardt if Leeds find themselves in the Championship next season.
The Latest: Hutton’s comments
Hutton, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to FI regarding Gelhardt and a possible summer exit.
He 'can't believe' the reports saying the youngster may walk away, adding that Gelhardt could actually benefit if the Whites dropped back down to the second tier by playing regularly, saying that the forward shouldn't be in a rush to leave.
“Obviously teams will know a lot about him but I think right now, it’s about playing games.
“If you move to a Crystal Palace or a Brentford or a Brighton, wherever, obviously it’s good to stay within the Premier League, I get that, but you have to play games.
“If Leeds were to go down and drop down and he was to be one of the main men moving forward, he’d get that game time up.
“We know he’s got the quality, we know he can play at the level of the Premier League. He’s still very young, he’s got a lot of time in his hands. There’s no rush.
“So it’s about maturing as a player and playing games to take you to the next level.”
The Verdict: Fingers crossed
There will be a number of Elland Road exits over the coming months, should Sunday not go to plan, however, you’d like to think that Gelhardt could stay in Yorkshire no matter what happens.
He’s under contract until 2024 and has become a regular under Marsch, failing to feature in just three of the last 14 Premier League games.
Top earner Rodrigo may well have played his final game at Elland Road, while Newcastle have been linked with a swoop for Patrick Bamford, so Gelhardt could be offered the chance to become first choice.
In other news: Phil Hay now shares what Victor Orta has done with Leeds 'storm' who wants out at Elland Road.