Rangers need ‘serious money’ to seal Joe Gelhardt deal as Hull City transfer battle on the cards
Rangers will have to work significantly harder to secure the signing of Joe Gelhardt this summer after Hull City sealed promotion to the Premier League on Saturday.
The Leeds United loanee has starred for the Tigers with 14 goals in the English Championship this term, form which has seen him emerge as a clear target at Ibrox ahead of the upcoming transfer window.
The Glasgow giants are keen admirers of the 24-year-old forward, and are keen to try and exploit their shared 49ers ownership to strike a deal with Leeds ahead of next season.
Gelhardt’s future at Elland Road is in major doubt after loan spells in two consecutive seasons, and it appears as though all options are now open for him for next term.
Rangers’ transfer plans are set to see them add to their squad in the attacking areas, but they will now have a battle on their hands if they are to land Gelhardt.
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VISIT THE RANGERS TRANSFER HUBRangers must be ready to pay big Joe Gelhardt fee after Hull exploits
Former Aberdeen and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness told Football Insider back in April that it could take “serious money” for Rangers to sign Gelhardt from Leeds this summer.
The Scottish businessman made it clear that he thinks the youngster would be “worth a gamble” for the Gers, but it is now obvious that they will be locked in a three-way fight.
| Stats | Gelhardt Totals |
| Apps (Starts) | 39 (35) |
| Goals (Assists) | 14 (4) |
| xG | 11.2 |
| Chances Created per 90 | 1.08 |
| Big Chances Missed per 90 | 0.25 |
| Conversion Rate | 17.5% |
Hull’s victory in the Championship play-off final could see their coffers boosted to the tune of £200million due to their promotion to the Premier League, and as a result, they will surely now have a genuine chance of bringing their loan star back on a permanent deal.
Their boss Sergej Jakirovic has already admitted that he wants him as part of his squad for 2026-27, and with the funds now available, they will surely do everything they can to get their man.
With that in mind, Rangers will likely have to flex their own financial muscles if they are to put forward a more attractive fee than Hull, but also tempt the player away from the lights of the Premier League.
Top-flight football is now almost a guaranteed option for Gelhardt if he opts to stay in England next term, and that is the worst possible outcome for Rangers in terms of their own chances.
Why Celtic could impact Gers’ final Gelhardt decision
Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson told Football Insider earlier this week that there is an “enormous” difference between revenue from the Champions League and other European competitions.
The football finance expert suggested that Rangers must drastically improve their player trading in order to make up for the revenue that they are missing out on after their Champions League failure.
The Gers made a £600,000 loss on player trading this season, while Celtic netted an eye-catching profit of over £31million, a gap which simply must be closed next time around.
With that in mind, Rohl and Co. must spend extremely carefully in order to maximise every penny that they splash, if they want to have any hope of matching Celtic’s success in that department.
As a result, it may not be prudent for them to spend the kind of money that Leeds will ask for on Gelhardt, as there may be better value options elsewhere in the market.
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