Leeds United will be playing Premier League football in the 2025/26 campaign after they secured their promotion from the Championship earlier this month.
The Whites celebrated their ascension to the top-flight after Burnley’s win over Sheffield United on Easter Monday, which came shortly after their own 6-0 win over Stoke City at Elland Road.
Daniel Farke and his staff will now be looking ahead to the summer transfer window, although there is still one more match to play against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park this afternoon.
It is going to be a critical summer of business for the West Yorkshire outfit because they know that they have to build a squad that is capable of avoiding an instant relegation from the Premier League.
This means that the players in the current squad will be under the microscope as Farke will have to judge which players are good enough to make the step up, and which of them will need to be replaced with better talents.
One of the stars whose place in the squad is up in the air heading into next season is centre-forward Joel Piroe, who is unproven at Premier League level.
Why Joel Piroe may not be Premier League quality
There is no doubt that the former Swansea star has been a key player for the Whites in this promotion-winning campaign with his goals and assists.
Piroe has racked up 19 goals and seven assists in 45 appearances in the Championship so far this term, and is currently the top scorer in the division – leading by two goals – ahead of the final round of matches today.
This shows that the Dutchman has been the most effective goalscorer in the second tier, as no one has scored more than him, but that does not guarantee that he will be a success in the Premier League.
Sammie Szmodics (27), Adam Armstrong (21), and Leeds’ Crysencio Summerville (19) ended the 2023/24 campaign as the top three scorers in the Championship, and all went on to play in the Premier League this season.
This season, Szmodics (four), Armstrong (two), and Summerville (one) have combined for seven goals in the Premier League for their respective clubs, which illustrates just how big the gap is between the second and the first tier.
Appearances
45
Goals
19
Assists
7
Duels won per game
1.6
Ground duel success rate
33%
Aerial duel success rate
20%
As you can see in the table above, Piroe has made an impact at the top end of the pitch, but he has also been dominated in physical battles.
This suggests that he could fall the same way as the likes of Szmodics, Armstrong, and Summerville, who are all slight in frame, by failing to make the step up to the Premier League.
Leeds eyeing up Premier League striker
The Whites could, however, sign a striker who is way better than Piroe as they are reportedly keen on a star who has already proven himself in the Premier League.
According to The Boy Hotspur, as relayed by MOT Leeds News, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs to have shown an interest in Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Richarlison.
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The report claims that the Whites, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fluminense, Al Hilal, and Al Shabab are among the teams keen on a swoop for the Brazil international.
It also states that Everton are already in talks with Spurs over a deal to sign the versatile attacker, who left Goodison Park to join Tottenham in the first place.
The outlet adds that the Premier League side would like to sell him permanently, for a fee in the region of £30m, but that a loan with an obligation to buy the forward next summer is also a possibility.
With this in mind, Leeds must push to win the race for the Brazilian striker’s signature because he could come in as a way better option than Piroe next season.
Why Richarlison is way better than Joel Piroe
Richarlison is a Premier League-proven centre-forward who would come in as an experienced, high-quality, option for Farke at the top end of the pitch.
The 27-year-old star, who was once described as a “goalmouth monster” by Ange Postecoglou, has scored five goals in 19 appearances in an injury-hampered season this year, but did produce 12 goals in 31 games in all competitions for Spurs last term.
Richarlison has a good track record of scoring goals throughout his Premier League career with Watford, Everton, and Spurs in his eight years in England, which means that Leeds would be signing a player who is a known quantity in the top-flight.
Whereas, Piroe has yet to make an appearance in the top-flight and his goals in the Championship are not enough, as proven by last year’s top scorers, to suggest that he will be a star in the Premier League.
24/25
14
4
103
1
23/24
28
11
137
4
22/23
27
1
1,023
4
21/20
30
10
253
5
20/21
34
7
410
3
19/20
36
13
237
3
18/19
35
13
206
2
17/18
38
5
565
4
As you can see in the table above, Richarlison, bar a disappointing 2022/23 campaign, has been a reliable presence at the top end of the pitch throughout his time in the league.
The Brazil international has also scored 20 goals in 48 caps for his country at international level, whilst Piroe is yet to be capped by the Netherlands, which further illustrates the gap in quality between the two players.
These statistics, in club and international football, suggest that Richarlison would be a way better option for Leeds than the Dutch marksman, who is set to fight against history to prove himself in the Premier League after a decent goal return in the Championship.
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Therefore, Leeds should push to sign the Brazilian star from Spurs in the upcoming summer transfer window because it would provide Farke with a Premier League-proven goalscorer who has the quality to hit double figures for goals in the league, whilst there are still big question marks over Piroe’s suitability for the top-flight.