£15k-p/w Leeds ace Farke called “class” will leave Elland Road this month

One member of Daniel Farke’s Leeds United squad is set to depart Elland Road this January, it has emerged, as he seeks opportunities elsewhere.

Leeds slip up in Championship

Costly errors from goalkeeper Illan Meslier meant that Leeds were held to a 3-3 draw by Hull City in their most recent outing, allowing Burnley and Sheffield United to close the gap at the top of the Championship to just a single point.

Like last season, it is proving to be a tight affair at the top of England’s second tier, with at least one of the three mentioned sides certain to miss out on automatic promotion come the end of the campaign, a fate that Leeds suffered last season.

However, Farke’s side look better equipped for promotion this season despite their firesale over the summer, with the Whites boasting the third-best defence in the division as well as the best attack.

Despite this, Farke was adamant that his side could not just “cruise” through the Championship for the remainder of the campaign.

“Overall you have to say it’s a sign of what we are – we are not the finished product which cruises through this league. We are one of the youngest sides in the league and we don’t play without making mistakes.

“A more experienced side at 3-1 up would have kept the ball and maybe scored a fourth goal but we allowed ourselves to not be switched on.”

With the January transfer window now here, Farke and the 49ers can add new blood to their ranks if they see fit, but a departure seems the most likely deal to be completed first.

Forward to leave Leeds this January

That comes as journalist Darren Witcoop claimed that forward Joe Gelhardt will be leaving Leeds this month, at least temporarily. The 22-year-old has featured just twice in the Championship so far this campaign, with Joel Piroe, Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford all preferred to the youngster by Farke.

He has not even been a part of a matchday squad since October, and his two substitute appearances have totalled just nine minutes of action, leaving a move away inevitable.

According to the report, he “will leave Leeds on loan this month”, with Gelhardt still having two and a half years left to run on his £15,000 a week deal at Elland Road.

He has been praised by Farke this season despite his lack of opportunities, with the Leeds boss explaining that he is “a really top-class human being and he’s a quality player”.

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Though set to leave, where he will head remains unclear, with Witcoop adding that “several Championship clubs have registered an interest”, while there have been “enquiries also from overseas” in his services.

For his part, Gelhardt is reportedly “weighing his future up” as he looks for regular first-team opportunities in a bid to ignite his career.