Wigan Athletic are reportedly closing in on a loan deal for Leeds United's Joe Gelhardt - one of several strikers who have been linked with Sunderland this month. Gelhardt has been touted as a potential target for Swansea City, Stoke City, Hull City, and Blackburn Rovers, as well as the Black Cats, but it appears the 20-year-old is set to return to Championship relegation strugglers Wigan, the club where he started his career.
Gelhardt had scored one goal in 21 outings - including two starts - for Wigan in the 2019-20 season, before joining Leeds that summer. He has gone on to score two more goals for Leeds in 41 games in all competitions, again with the majority of those appearances - 32 of them - coming from the bench.
With Ellis Simms having been recalled from his loan spell on Wearside by Everton at the beginning of the month, Sunderland are still determined to bring in at least one striker before the January transfer window closes. They have been linked with a number of targets at various times, including Nottingham Forest's Sam Surridge, Blackpool's Jerry Yates, and Peterborough United's Jonson Clarke-Harris, and Sunderland are also open to the possibility of Simms returning if Everton decide they no longer need him.
