Leeds United are in an interesting position. Second-season syndrome is a real theme where clubs ride the wave of promotion to stay in the Premier League for the first year, but the novelty wears off.
Leeds go into the second season after a brilliant first season, achieving a 14th-placed finish. Daniel Farke’s men and Sunderland ended the run of promoted teams being relegated after just one top-tier season.
Who should be Leeds’ new vice-captain? 👊
Pascal Struijk has left for Brighton, leaving
Now, with greater expectation, Leeds have got to guard against relegation in their second season. The three promoted teams are all spending big, with Ipswich already boasting a side ready for the top tier.
Leeds have made two first-class signings. Harry Wilson had a hand in 17 Premier League goals last term, while Serie A fans have applauded Leeds for landing Tarik Muharemovic. More spending is expected.
A striker could be on that list, after Leeds saw a move for Jacob Strand Larsen rejected in January. The Norwegian moved to Crystal Palace instead, but a new striker now would be bad news for Joel Piroe.
Joel Piroe shares stance on Leeds future, and it’s a big mistake
Bought by Leeds for an initial £10.5m in the summer of 2023, rising to £16m with add-ons, Leeds landed Piroe from Swansea with one clear intention. The Dutchman was tasked with firing Leeds back up.
Last season, he won the golden boot with 19 goals and seven assists as Leeds won the Championship trophy. But in the Premier League, he failed to score a single Premier League goal in 16 appearances.
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Lukas Nmecha and possibly even Noah Okafor ahead of Piroe in Farke’s thinking, a new striker would almost certainly end any chance he has of game time during 2026-27.
However, speaking to Flash Scores, Piroe is keen to stay at Leeds: “I just want to prove myself with Leeds in the Premier League. I didn’t want to run away from the challenge (in the winter transfer window).
“After just half a season to run away from the challenge, that didn’t feel right as well. I thought to myself, ‘Why run away after half a season when you have not experienced a full season in the Premier League?’
“I still see my future there (at Leeds). Of course, when pre-season starts, I will see what the club thinks. But for now, I just want to present myself in a way where I show these are the steps compared to last season.
“And if it’s good enough and I get the chances, then I would be really happy. And if it’s not the case, then we will see what will happen,” Piroe said about his future at Leeds, ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Who is interested in Piroe and his contract situation at Leeds…
According to Flash Scores, Celtic were among the clubs interested in Piroe. The Dutchman had also caught the attention of Ipswich Town, FC Twente and another Red Bull club in Liam Rosenior’s Paris FC.
Whether Paris and Ipswich remain interested after getting promoted, remains to be seen. Going into the summer, Piroe will be lucky to start the new season as Leeds’ third-choice striker, with one often used.
How much is Joel Piroe worth? 💵
Leeds spent a total of £16m on Piroe…
Ultimately, Piroe needs to leave and it would be disastrous for his career if he stuck around as he did last season and got little over 500 minutes of league action. But also, Leeds need to sell him this summer.
That is because he has entered the last year of his contract. Bought for £16m, anything above £4m would be a book profit for Leeds and that feels achievable. Leeds sold Struijk for the same reasons last month.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
