Leeds United have given themselves a chance to hit a century of points in the Championship for the first time in club history on the final day against Plymouth Argyle.
Daniel Farke’s side put on a show against Bristol City at Elland Road on Monday night, winning 4-0 under the lights, and are on 97 points heading into the last game of the season.
The West Yorkshire outfit have already secured their place in the Premier League for the 2025/26 campaign, having gained automatic promotion alongside Burnley last week.
There is still the small matter of the league title to battle the Clarets for, however, before attention can fully turn to the upcoming summer transfer window.
After the win over Bristol City, Farke revealed that there will be “tough” and “difficult” decisions to be made on players in the squad, as Leeds look to build a team that is capable of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
One player who has sparked debate among supporters is Dutch centre-forward Joel Piroe, who is unproven in the top tier of English football.
Why Leeds may have to replace Joel Piroe
The former Swansea City number nine added a seventh assist to his season tally of goal contributions in the 4-0 win over Bristol City on Monday night, with a sumptuous cross-field pass to Wilfried Gnonto.
Piroe is also the top scorer in the Championship, with 19 goals in 45 appearances, and has outperformed his xG of 16.54 – helped by his recent four-goal haul against Stoke City.
Despite all of his contributions in the final third, Norwich City striker Josh Sargent was selected ahead of the Leeds attacker in the official EFL Team of the Season, voted for by the players.
Whilst Piroe has delivered goals and assists for the Whites, the Dutch striker’s all-round game leaves a bit to be desired, and former Blackburn Rovers star Sammie Szomodics is a good example of how difficult the transition from the Championship to the Premier League is if you lack the physical attributes to make the step up.
Appearances
44
45
Goals
27
19
Assists
4
7
Duels won per game
2.5
1.6
Ground duel success rate
43%
33%
Aerial duel success rate
30%
20%
As you can see in the table above, Szmodics rarely won duels and was dominated on the deck and in the air by opposition defenders in the second tier, but was still able to notch 31 goal contributions.
In the Premier League, however, the Ireland international has continued to lose the majority of his duels (64%) and has only racked up four goals and zero assists in 19 matches for Ipswich Town.
He has not been able to impose himself on games without the physical attributes, whether that be speed or simply strength in duels, and Piroe, as shown by his statistics in comparison to Szmodics’ in the Championship, could suffer similar problems.
With this in mind, Leeds must consider making a move to land an upgrade on the Dutchman in the summer transfer window, which they could do by swooping for one of their reported targets.
Leeds United's interest in £40m Premier League striker
Back in February, OnTheMinute reported that Leeds United are one of several clubs interested in a deal to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Manchester United.
The report claimed that the Whites are keeping tabs on the Denmark international because Farke believes that he is a player with big potential at Premier League level, and that the manager believes that the star would be interested in a move to Elland Road.
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OnTheMinute added that West Ham United and Juventus have also been linked with a move for the striker, which suggests that Leeds could face significant competition for his services this summer.
The outlet revealed that, despite Hojlund joining the Red Devils for a fee of £72m from Atalanta in the summer of 2023, he could be available for a fee of £40m, although it remains to be seen whether or not the Whites are prepared to spend that much money on him to bolser their squad.
Why Leeds should sign Rasmus Hojlund
The 49ers should push the boat out to land the Denmark international for £40m ahead of the club’s return to the Premier League because he could come in as an immediate upgrade on Piroe for Farke.
Hojlund, despite enduring a difficult season this year, has previously showcased his quality in the Premier League and the Serie A for Manchester United and Atalanta, and boasts the physical attributes to compete at the top level.
Content creator Alice Talks Football described the forward as a “physical monster” who has the “speed” and “athletic qualities” required at Old Trafford, whilst there remain question marks over whether or not Piroe has the athletic qualities required for the top-flight.
Hojlund, playing in a struggling Manchester United side, has scored four goals from 3.84 xG in 20 starts in the Premier League this season, but displayed more quality in the final third in the previous two campaigns.
Appearances
32
30
xG
9.47
7.64
Goals
9
10
Assists
2
2
Duels won per game
3.0
2.8
As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old attacker scored 19 goals in the Serie A and the Premier League combined, overperforming his xG overall, in those two seasons, whilst winning more duels per game than Piroe has managed in the Championship this term.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for the young marksman, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed has “electric pace”, to be a big goal threat for Leeds, as well as a ‘physical monster’ with his strength, athletism, and speed.
Hojlund could provide Farke’s team with a useful athletic presence at the top end of the pitch, and one that Piroe may not be able to provide based on his lack of mobiltiy at Championship level.
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Therefore, despite his goal return this season, Leeds could land an instant upgrade on the Dutchman by splashing £40m on this Premier League centre-forward.
