According to Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross, Wigan starlet Joe Gelhardt is a player Marcelo Bielsa's side are interested in a transfer this summer.

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The 18-year-old has been one of the break-out stars of the Latics' season, making 19 appearances for the first-team this season, with 18 of them coming in the Championship alone.

And in a Q&A session for Leeds Live, Cross delivered a transfer update on the Whites' plans for the summer, indicting that Gelhardt appears to be the latest name on the short-list.

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He said: "Gelhardt is certainly the freshest name which looks closest, but it’s easy to overlook the names everyone knows about, who cost money. Meslier and Costa are already done. Harrison should get signed off this week or next, while, unsurprisingly, Ben White is the big target of the summer. Harrison will be another year’s loan. Led to believe many names out there at the moment are wide of the mark."

Orta's youth revolution

Having lost Jack Clarke to Tottenham last summer, Victor Orta will surely have one eye on trying to reignite a new youth project at Elland Road over the next few seasons.

And that could well be the 18-year-old, Gelhardt. The young Wigan striker has already earned rave reviews for his performances, with former Latics boss Paul Cook saying: "He's got that unique talent to find space in a telephone box. He's such a natural, good footballer. To get a goal like that in front of his own fans was a special moment. We're just lucky to have a boy with his humility playing for us – the game is easy for him."

Gelhardt's former teammate at Wigan, Alex Bruce, further talked up his potential, declaring: "I played with Joe at Wigan when he was a young kid coming through and he’s an outstanding prospect, I have to say. He’s a tenacious young centre-forward and he’s a good finisher as well. He’s got a bright future ahead of him, that’s for sure."

If Leeds are keen on finding someone to offer them the kind of potential and promise Clarke showed before he left, then Gelhardt could be that player.