Pundit says Rangers FC should only sign Leeds United ace on one condition | OneFootball

Stephen McGinn believes there's no point in the Gers signing the Leeds forward unless there's a key clause attached to it.

Stephen McGinn believes Rangers should not look to secure a loan deal for Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt unless they have an option to sign him permanently.

Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, McGinn made his stance clear on a potential deal for the forward, after the Yorkshire Evening Post linked the 22-year-old with a move to Ibrox.

Gelhardt hasn't won much game time at Elland Road following their return to the Championship, even though Daniel Farke made the decision to retain him.

He hasn't won regular game time since his loan move to Sunderland during the 2023 winter window, with the forward being used regularly by Tony Mowbray.

The 22-year-old was a much-needed addition for the Black Cats following Ellis Simms' recall, and with Ross Stewart also spending much of the 2022/23 season out injured, Gelhardt started regularly on Wearside.

Unfortunately, he was unable to score regularly and guide them to the Premier League, but the player was still able to win a decent amount of game time and secure some valuable experience under his belt.

His game time has been more limited since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, but he could potentially seal a January move away from Elland Road.

Not only do the Yorkshire Evening Post believe the Gers are interested in the forward, but they have also reported the interest of Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth, Preston North End and Stoke City, all of whom could give him the opportunity to stay in England.

Stephen McGinn urges Rangers to include key option in Joe Gelhardt loan deal

According to TEAMtalk, the Scottish Premiership side would prefer to strike a permanent agreeement for Gelhardt, but Leeds have only given him permission to go out on loan at this point.

It could also be difficult for the Gers to sign him permanently due to the fact his contract doesn't expire until 2027, with the Whites able to charge a sizeable amount for the player because of that.

But McGinn has still urged Philippe Clement's side to try and insert an option to buy in any potential loan deal they strike for Gelhardt.

Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show [27/11; 23:17] (via Ibrox News): "He was always highly thought of as a young player. I don’t like loans unless it’s with the option to buy for Rangers. I don’t really get the point of it if not.

"We have no idea if they’ll be close enough in the title race to take in a short-term loan for a guy not playing much football.

"Beyond Dessers, there’s no one really coming off the bench able to do anything. Gelhardt might come in and score goals, but then if there isn’t an option to buy, there’s not much point."

Rangers may face difficult Joe Gelhardt negotiations

With Gelhardt's contract not expiring until the summer of 2027, Leeds are in a strong negotiating position.

And the Whites may still retain hope that the young forward could be a major first-team asset in the future.

With this in mind, the Gers could find it difficult to include an option in a deal that's affordable for them.

If they aren't able to afford to pay the amount needed to sign the striker permanently, then there's no point in them including this option.

But ideally, they need to sign Gelhardt for the long term if they are to fully benefit from him, having an option would be ideal, so they can see what he can do at Ibrox before deciding whether to make a permanent switch for him.

If they don't include a fixed fee in a loan deal, Leeds could easily raise their price tag in the summer.