49ers must let clash fly to win Leeds United race for Swansea striker Joel Piroe as transfer news emerges
Leeds United are now in a two-horse race with Championship rivals Southampton to sign Swansea striker Joel Piroe and the 49ers must open their chequebook to beat the Saints to seal a statement addition.
According to Last Word On Sports (29 July), both clubs are the only ones left in the running for Piroe after Leicester and Everton reportedly cooled their interest.
It has believed that Leeds’ focus on Piroe this summer comes from a desperate need for a striker that will finish off chances, following Rodrigo’s departure to Qatar and Patrick Bamford’s unreliability and decline.
The Whites have already been busy in the summer transfer window completing the signing of Ethan Ampadu from Chelsea in a £7m deal, and a potential striker signing will also be high on Daniel Farke’s recruitment agenda.
Leeds’ desperation for a reliable goal-getter is abundantly clear given their limited and unreliable resources right now and the Whites simply cannot afford to allow their Championship rivals Southampton to steal a march on such a reliable and destructive goal machine.
With the West Yorkshire outfit close to sealing their second signing of the summer in Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow, the 49ers must let their cash fly even more to seal Piroe’s capture.
And according to several reports, Piroe has emerged as one Leeds United’s forward targets this summer with Phil Hay naming the Dutchman as a Whites transfer target in The Athletic on 6 July, before describing him as a “shoe-in for any Championship club” to score goals on The Square Ball (33m 30s).
The 23-year-old swiftly became one of the Championship’s most ruthless finishers over the past two campaigns, notching 20 goals from 45 appearances last season after hitting 24 goals the previous term marking him out as the ideal candidate to lead Leeds United forward next season.
It remains to be seen whether Piroe would want to endure another 46-game Championship season for the forthcoming campaign as he is certainly ready to move to another level after proving himself for two full and sensational seasons.
Should the Whites secure his signature amidst the uncertainty regarding his decision, it would indeed be a statement signing to their Championship rivals. Piroe not only holds the qualities to become one but also possesses the confidence and character to become a serious success story at Elland Road.
Piroe will solve plenty of the burning attacking issues in the Leeds United squad but is also blessed with the size, bullish characteristics and clinical goalscoring attributes to become a serious weapon for Farke next season.
He demonstrated his importance this season for Swansea by ranking third for big chances created (five), first for goals (19) and first for shots on target per game, displaying his all-round attacking abilities.
Signing Piroe would represent a strong marker of Farke and the 49ers Enterprises’ lofty ambitions at Elland Road and it would be absolutely criminal if Southampton were to beat them to his signature.
What kind of message will that send to their fans regarding their lofty expectations to seal a swift Premier League return next summer?
In other Leeds United news, Sam Allardyce has shared his verdict on the coming season at Leeds.