Hull City are in talks with Yorkshire rivals Leeds United over signing striker Joe Gelhardt on loan for the rest of the season but face competition.

City have been hunting a striker for a number of months and have decided Gelhardt fits the bill to come into Ruben Selles' squad and provide an added goal threat.

The Tigers are leading the race to sign the frontman ahead of a host of other clubs both in England and Scotland, with the forward understood to be keen on moving to City, sources close to Leeds United have told Hull Live.

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It's understood Leeds are prepared to sanction the exit of Gelhardt once they've established the full situation surrounding the hamstring injury picked up by Patrick Bamford. It's expected that decision will be made before the end of the week.

Gelhardt was on the bench at the MKM Stadium on Saturday and had a front-row seat to watch City recover from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with the Whites thanks to a brace from Abu Kamara and one from Joao Pedro to breathe fresh life into their bid to avoid the drop.

The 22-year-old Liverpool-born frontman has found it difficult to force his way into Daniel Farke’s promotion-chasing Whites side this season. He has been limited to just nine minutes of Championship football coming in games against Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City, though he did play a little over an hour in the EFL Cup earlier this season.

Goals have been a real problem for City this season, and with just 22 in their opening 25 games - before bagging three against the Whites - and were the lowest scorers in the Championship prior to the weekend, so signing attacking players in January is top of the club’s transfer agenda.

Gelhardt has Premier League goals under his belt during his stay at Elland Road, but has struggled in recent times but City will hope the frontman can find his form at the MKM Stadium and fire the goals to get the Tigers out of trouble at the wrong end of the Championship table.

The striker, who can also play off the right flank, signed for Leeds in the summer of 2020 from Wigan Athletic having come through the ranks at the DW Stadium. Funnily enough, his first Whites goal came against City in September of that year during a 2-2 draw.

He penned a four-year deal at Elland Road, which was extended in 2022 and now remains contracted to the West Yorkshire outfit until the summer of 2027. Having played for England from Under-16 to Under-20 level, the former Sunderland loanee will hope to rekindle his form on the opposite side of Yorkshire.

Provided the deal goes through, Gelhardt would go straight into Ruben Selles’s squad for the FA Cup tie with Doncaster Rovers on Sunday and will provide welcome competition for Mason Burstow and Joao Pedro while doubt remains about Chris Bedia’s long-term future.

City’s transfer business has sparked into life this week, with the club closing in on a deal to bring ex-Middlesbrough man Matt Crooks to the MKM Stadium, which could be confirmed on Tuesday, and Gelhardt’s potential arrival would be a further boost to Selles’ ranks.

The Tigers have a host of offers in for other players and discussions are well underway to add more players to Selles' squad, with space finally freed up following the departures of Marvin Mehlem and Will Jarvis.