Joel Piroe ‘worth every penny’ as Swansea set for windfall after Leeds promotion
Joel Piroe was on fire as Stoke City were destroyed at Elland Road in the Championship on Monday, with the Leeds United striker scoring four goals.
Daniel Farke’s team hosted Mark Robins’ side on 21 April, with the Dutch forward scoring four goals in the first half, with the Whites 5-0 up at the break.
Piroe was all over Stoke in the opening 45 minutes, as Junior Firpo also got on the scoresheet in the 26th minute for the hosts.
Willy Gnonto added a sixth at Elland Road in what was a magical night in LS11 as they confirmed Premier League promotion.
Leeds United have Piroe to thank for Premier League promotion
At the start of the season, the biggest concern for the West Yorkshire outfit’s fans would’ve been the lack of a reliable goalscorer in their team.
While Patrick Bamford has been pivotal to the success at Elland Road in recent years, the English striker has struggled to find the back of the net consistently for some time now, leading to speculation around his future.
| Competition (2024/25) | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Championship | 44 | 19 | 6 |
Mateo Joseph showed some promise at the start of the campaign, but the Spanish youngster was able to stake his claim in the starting lineup after some underwhelming displays.
Farke has had to rely on Piroe as his first-choice number nine, and the 25-year-old centre-forward has repaid the German manager’s faith, sitting at the top of the Championship goalscoring charts.
Swansea to receive transfer windfall after promotion confirmation at Elland Road
Burnley beat Sheffield United 2-1 a few hours after the Whites secured three points against Stoke, confirming the top two spots in the league table.
Scott Parker and Farke’s teams will be playing in the Premier League next season, and it will be interesting to see who will win the play-offs.
The Elland Road faithful have been waiting for this moment, and the West Yorkshire outfit will finally play top-flight football after a two-year exile, with Piroe influential in achieving that goal.
Swansea are now owed £2million after they sold the Dutch forward to Leeds in 2023, which contained a promotion clause, according to the BBC.
The news outlet reports (22 April) that the Swans will receive payment from the Whites, who secured a return to the Premier League, with the original deal for the 25-year-old striker between the two clubs worth over £10m.
Supporters won’t be bothered about it as Piroe has arguably been worth every penny after what he’s done this season.
It’s not easy to lead the line at a team like the West Yorkshire outfit, where the pressure of winning promotion is high.
The former Swansea striker will now hope to ply his trade in the English top flight for the Peacocks soon, and whether the centre-forward can live up to expectations remains to be seen.