Wigan Athletic starlet Joe Gelhardt is reportedly a target for Everton, Liverpool, Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool are going head-to-head to sign Wigan Athletic striker Joe Gelhardt in 2020, according to Goal.
There is certainly a space at Anfield for an exciting centre-forward with an unmistakable Scouse lilt, especially after Bobby Duncan succeeded in forcing his deadline-day move to Fiorentina.
Gelhardt, like Steven Gerrard’s fresh-faced cousin, was born in Liverpool and has the world at his feet.
The teenager is set to make his England U18 debut this week, 13 months after he made his first and only appearance for the Wigan first team. Gelhardt has shone at reserve-team level too and caught the eye of Liverpool’s academy director Alex Inglethorpe during a Youth Cup clash against The Reds in February.
Yet they are not the only club on Merseyside interested in a striker who signed his first professional contract a year ago. Everton are keeping tabs on Gelhardt too with director of football Marcel Brands scouring the world for diamonds in the rough.
The report adds that Leicester City, whose coach Brendan Rodgers turned Raheem Sterling, Luis Suarez and Kieran Tierney into top-class talents, are in the race, too.
As are a Wolves side who have been building for the future ever since Fosun International’s takeover in 2016. Raphael Nya, Bruno Jordao, Mertan Shabani and Pedro Neto all arrived at Molineux this summer alone from PSG, Lazio and Bayern Munich respectively.
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