Hull City forward Joe Gelhardt has revealed that his deal to Birmingham City fell through late in the summer transfer window.

Gelhardt was with Leeds United from 2020 to 2026, although despite signing from Wigan Athletic as a youth, he struggled to establish himself as a regular starter.

The attacker had a short time with Sunderland before signing on loan for Hull City in both the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, where he attracted the eye for all the right reasons.

He played a major role in the Tigers’ promotion to the Premier League last season, and he’ll be eager to continue playing for them in the top division on a regular basis.

With Leeds wanting to transfer Gelhardt on a permanent basis, he wasn’t short of interest, with Birmingham being one of the clubs eager to reach an arrangement with the Yorkshire side.

However, Hull won the race to sign him, and the Tigers will be hoping that he can build on some promising performances for them in the future.

Joe Gelhardt Issues The Birmingham City transfer revelation

In a recent interview with BBC Humberside Sport, Gelhardt revealed how his move to Hull City came about, including the fact that he was scheduled for a medical with Birmingham City before Hull owner Acun Ilicali approached him about a permanent move to the KCOM Stadium.

As time passed, I wondered if Hull would ever call; the unknown is unpleasant, but when they did, it was a huge relief and a no-brainer. It was late at night, and I was ready for anything. I was constantly on the phone with my agent. I guess it was around 11 p.m. when the owner (Acun Ilicali) FaceTimed me; I was in bed, so I had to get up and sort myself out.”

“I was going for a medical at Birmingham he next day when the owner (Acun Ilicali) rang so yeah, pretty close.”

Gelhardt could have been a prudent signing for the Blues.

Gelhardt may have been an excellent addition to the Birmingham team, especially given his previous experience in the Championship with Leeds and on loan with Hull.

The forward scored 15 goals and assisted six Hull City teammates during the 2025/26 season, which was notable for the Tigers.

Birmingham City may have benefited from that proven goalscoring record in the second tier during this year’s Championship season.

It’s encouraging to see the Blues were ambitious enough to match Leeds’ asking price for Gelhardt, and it must have been painful to miss out on a deal for the former Wigan player in the closing moments of the window.

Joe Gelhardt’s career statistics (as of 10/10/26).

Club

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Wigan Athletic

21

1

0

Leeds United Under-21s

31

Leeds United had 57 points, Sunderland had 20 points, and Hull City had 66 points.

Will Joe Gelhardt’s switch to Hull City over Birmingham City pay off?

Birmingham are a team on the right track, especially provided its owners continue to support the club financially.

Chris Davies’ attacking options include Jay Stansfield, Luis Vasquez, Marvin Ducksch, and August Priske. Priske, who joined the Blues from Swedish team Djurgårdens in January 2026, is eager to start his first full season.

Birmingham has struggled to score goals from forwards this season, raising the issue of whether they would benefit from having a player of Gelhardt’s calibre on their roster.

Hull are likely to fight it out to avoid relegation back into the Championship this season, and even though they’ve had a bright start to life back in the top-flight, the Tigers may find themselves back in the same division as Birmingham sooner rather than later, so it’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for the 24-year-old, who still has his best years ahead of him.