Joel Piroe could lay foundations for Leeds transfer with Birmingham City performance
Leeds take a break from Premier League duties this Sunday as the FA Cup takes centre stage.
Having dispatched of Derby County 3-1 in the third round back on 7 January, Leeds now prepare to travel to another Championship ground on Sunday.
Birmingham is the destination for Daniel Farke‘s side, as they take on Chris Davies’ play-off-chasing Blues in what looks set to be a proper FA Cup fourth round tie.
With a few injuries loitering around his squad, Farke could use this opportunity to rest and rotate his starting XI, potentially presenting some big opportunities to some fringe players.
Joel Piroe could line up Birmingham City transfer on Sunday
Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed Leeds’ 2-2 draw with Chelsea on on Tuesday night due to illness, with it not currently known how serious or long he’ll be out of action with that.
Regardless, Leeds’ number nine was likely to have been rested anyway against Birmingham this weekend, as the 28-year-old is essential to their Premier League survival bid.
As such, this is likely to present an opportunity for one of either Lukas Nmecha or Joel Piroe to lead the line at St Andrew’s.
If it’s the latter of those two, then the Dutchman will be desperate to put on a show on Sunday, and not just for the sake of trying to win back favour with Farke.
Indeed, among a host of clubs interested in signing him in this season’s winter transfer window, Birmingham were also strongly linked with making a move for Piroe.
The 26-year-old had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in leaving Elland Road this winter, and instead, wants to stay and fight for his place in West Yorkshire.
However, he appears to be fighting a losing battle in that regard, and is sure to be a prime candidate for a transfer exit in the summer.
Therefore, should he get the chance to start or see significant minutes off the bench against them on Sunday, he could lay the groundworks for a summer move to St Andrew’s.
Piroe could be perfect fit for ambitious Birmingham
Birmingham have highly ambitious owners and plans in place to build a new 62-000-seater stadium for 2030-31, what they don’t seem to have, however, is a proven Championship centre-forward.
Jay Stansfield tends to be more effective playing behind the striker in an attacking midfield role, which leaves just Kyogo Furuhashi, August Priske and Marvin Ducksch as the centre-forward options.
None of that trio are proven goalscorers in England’s second tier, whereas Piroe certainly is, having been crowned the division’s golden boot winner last season with 19 goals.
He also enjoyed 22 and 19-goal seasons with Swansea in the Championship prior to joining Leeds, and so Piroe would have the tools to fire Birmingham to the Premier League, if they can’t do so this term.