Graham Smyth drops ‘sneaky’ Leeds United verdict as Joel Piroe exit mooted
Joel Piroe could be sold this summer if Leeds United were to break even on the former Swansea City striker, Graham Smyth has suggested.
Leeds signed the 24-year-old forward on a deal worth upwards of £10million last summer, as per BBC Sport, becoming a key player in Daniel Farke’s squad with 14 goals in 49 appearances.
Due to missing out on promotion to the Premier League, the Whites must raise £100million in player sales to avoid financial punishments, and Smyth believes Piroe could be sacrificed. [Daily Mail]
Writing via the Yorkshire Evening Post on Wednesday (29 May), he said: “His goals were important in the first half of the season and he will score a fair few again.
“But his role needs to be really worked on and defined in the summer if there’s a real point to his presence at Leeds. A sneaky outset bet for a sale if Leeds received an offer that wiped the slate clean.”
Could Leeds United cut their ties with Joel Piroe this summer?
Piroe’s first season at Elland Road has been greeted with mixed reactions from the fans, having tailed off in the final few weeks of the Championship season.
Before the play-offs started, he had scored just three goals in his last 21 appearances in all competitions and had lost his spot in the starting XI to Patrick Bamford.
However, with Bamford’s injury, Daniel Farke had no choice but to deploy Piroe with Georginio Rutter, with the goals drying up for both players, though both scored in the 4-0 win over Norwich City.
Due to the current financial situation at Elland Road, Piroe is just one of the star players who have been linked with a move away, joining the list of Crysencio Summerville, Rutter, Archie Gray and Wilfried Gnonto.
Those players will be considered much more important to the Leeds fans than Piroe, so if the club can raise a decent chunk of funds with the Dutchman’s sale, many will want the chance to be taken.
In other Leeds United news, Graham Smyth has shared a new transfer admission around Archie Gray’s future at Elland Road
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