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Hull City are poised to finalise the capture of Joe Gelhardt on a long-term deal following an agreement with Premier League counterparts Leeds United. Leeds Live understands Gelhardt is expected to put pen to paper on a four-year contract at the MKM Stadium, with an option for an additional 12 months, after City chairman Acun Ilicali led negotiations with the Elland Road outfit over the past 24 hours. The Tigers have acted swiftly in recent days to secure the return of their former loan star, and barring any last-minute complications, the 24 year old should feature in the squad for Saturday's fixture against Nice. Gelhardt had been anticipating a move to Birmingham City earlier in the week, before Hull intervened to bring him back to the MKM Stadium and reunite him with manager Sergej Jakirovic, who has been instrumental in pushing the transfer over the line. Across two temporary stints from Elland Road, Gelhardt's displays and commitment won him enormous admiration from the Hull fanbase, and his homecoming will thrill supporters on the terraces, as well as the player himself, who has made clear once again that the Tigers were his only desired destination. Gelhardt initially joined in January 2025 while the Tigers were embroiled in a relegation scrap, and his five goals proved crucial in keeping City in the Championship. Following his return last summer, the ex-Wigan Athletic forward netted 15 times, including a vital second goal in the play-off semi-final victory over Millwall that secured City's spot in the Wembley final. Despite beginning the Wembley clash against Middlesbrough as a substitute, Gelhardt entered the fray to help steer the Tigers towards ultimate success, remarkably managing not to make contact with Oli McBurnie's goal-bound shot as it found the back of the net. Any touch from him would likely have seen the goal disallowed for offside. Gelhardt has consistently expressed his ambition to return to the MKM Stadium, and it appears he's now achieved that goal, securing a lengthy contract alongside the opportunity to build on his 35 Premier League outings with Leeds.