Joel Piroe could almost be classed as the last remnants of the old scouting unit which ran Leeds United’s recruitment until the end of last season.
This time last year, Leeds were shaping up to have a go at signing Piroe, albeit in circumstances where he was far from top of their list. Deadline day in August 2022 found the club craving a striker and after Cody Gakpo and Bamba Dieng slipped through their fingers, an approach was made to Swansea City for Piroe. It was late, it was desperate and the bid got nowhere.
Leeds held Premier League status back then and Gakpo had been their dream ticket; that was, after a prior attempt to court Charles De Ketelaere. But descent into the EFL in May generated a fresh focus on Piroe — signed on Thursday night on a £10.5million ($13.2m) deal, potentially rising to £16million with add-ons, from Swansea — which was more considered and more serious.
Piroe’s reputation was that of a Championship goalscorer and no mistake. He had been at the forefront of Leeds’ mind since the start of the summer, a deal they hoped to do if the pieces fell into place.
Leeds, after all, have not had life their own way this summer. Away from the spate of departing players, they pitched for Gustavo Hamer but were priced out by a £15million offer from Sheffield United. They expressed an interest in Cameron Archer but Sheffield United made sure of him by repeating the trick and tabling a fee no EFL side would match. They had Max Aarons in the building for a medical, only for Aarons to ditch them for Bournemouth. The risk of an ambush with Piroe was equally real. But this time there was no door waiting to slam in their face.
Piroe is a bona fide No 9 and, as Leeds’ fifth new recruit, he gives Daniel Farke something he was otherwise lacking.
(Alex Burstow/Getty Images)
Farke has other forwards in his squad, players who might regard themselves as direct competition for Piroe, but there are issues with all of them. Patrick Bamford has not been reliably fit for two years and was injured before this season even began. Georginio Rutter is United’s record signing but could not pretend to have found his groove, nor proven yet that he is likely to. Mateo Joseph is young, raw and also carrying an injury. The clutch of options is not what the Championship would class as armed-to-the-teeth.
But Piroe, on paper and in the flesh, is different. A former PSV Eindhoven junior, his two seasons with Swansea have shown that he has the physique and the durability for England’s second division, the long slog of 46 games or 49 if the play-offs come into the reckoning. He averaged very close to one goal from every two league games at Swansea, with 19 last season and 22 the year before.
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