Leeds United secured the Championship title with a 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle on the final day of the season earlier this month, and now have a season in the Premier League to look forward to.
The Whites racked up 100 points on their way to being champions of the second tier, but that does not mean that they are going to find the transition to the top-flight easy.
There are already doubts over some of the stars who led Leeds to the title, as Football Insider reported earlier this month that the club are not planning to build their attack around Joel Piroe.
The outlet claimed that there are doubts behind the scenes about whether or not the Dutch centre-forward can make the step up to the Premier League as Daniel Farke's main number nine next season.
Joel-Piroe-Leeds
That is despite the fact that the left-footed striker won the Golden Boot in the Championship, narrowly beating Josh Sargent and Borja Sainz from Norwich to the trophy.
Why Leeds may have doubts about Joel Piroe
Leeds may have doubts about Piroe, though, because of the gulf in athleticism required between the two divisions, as the Premier League is an incredibly intense league.
The Whites need their centre-forward to be mobile and, or, strong to either run off the back of opposition centre-backs or to hold them off in order to retain possession for the team, because Farke's side will not be able to be as dominant next term given that they are likely to be in a relegation battle, rather than a title race.
It is fair to say that Piroe is not the quickest centre-forward around, or that he uses his pace to leave defenders for dead. His game is more centered around positioning and finishing, being in the right place at the right time to use his lethal left foot.
However, Leeds need more than that in the Premier League because of the nature of the season that they are likely to face, with a lot of deep defending likely to leave them in need of a number nine who can either stretch a defence or hold the ball up.
24/25 Championship Joel Piroe
Appearances 46
xG 17.17
Goals 19
Dribble success rate 32%
Ground duel success rate 33%
Aerial duel success rate 21%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Piroe is not likely to hold the ball up effectively in the Premier League because defenders in the Championship found it far too easy to tackle him in dribbles and beat him in duels on the ground and in the air.
This explains why there are doubts behind the scenes about his suitability to a relegation scrap in the top-flight, because he does not appear to have the physical attributes required.
piroe-leeds-united
Leeds, with that in mind, are now reportedly eyeing up a deal for a striker who has already proven that they can compete in the Premier League.
Leeds leading race to sign Premier League striker
According to talkSPORT, Leeds United are leading the race to sign Newcastle United centre-forward Callum Wilson in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Whites are the 'frontrunners' to land the former England international, although there are no other teams named as being in contention to sign the marksman.
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TalkSPORT adds that Newcastle have an option to extend the English forward's contract by another year, as it is due to expire this summer, but they would be willing to allow him to leave on a free transfer if he can find a club to go and play regular football for.
This means that Leeds, and any other interested club, could land a bargain deal for the experienced cenre-forward by signing him on a free transfer ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Why Leeds should sign Callum Wilson
Farke must snap the Magpies marksman up on a free transfer if the opportunity presents itself in the coming weeks because he could come in as a big upgrade on Piroe.
Whilst there are doubts over the Dutchman's suitability for the Premier League ahead of next season, Wilson has already proven, over many years, that he can be an excellent option at that level.
As you can see in the clips above, the Newcastle star racked up an extraordinary haul of 18 goals in the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign, only one goal fewer than Piroe managed in the Championship.
He has found himself behind Alexander Isak in the pecking order this season, which is no shame given that the Swedish marksman has scored 23 Premier League goals, but he has an excellent goal-to-start ratio throughout his career in the top-flight.
|Callum Wilson's Premier League career|
|Season|Starts|Goals|
|---|
|24/25|1|0|
|23/24|9|9|
|22/23|21|18|
|21/22|16|8|
|20/21|23|12|
|19/20|32|8|
|18/19|29|14|
|17/18|23|8|
|16/17|16|6|
|15/16|9|5|
|Stats via Sofascore|
As you can see in the table above, the experienced forward tends to score goals in the top-flight when his manager gives him starts, as has been proven throughout his time at Bournemouth and Newcastle.
This means that Wilson, once dubbed "outstanding" by Eddie Howe, would come in as a proven Premier League goalscorer who could offer a reliable presence at the top end of the pitch that Piroe may not be able to provide.
The clip above, albeit from many years ago, also perfectly illustrates the pace, quality, and strength that the Englishman would bring to the Leeds team, as these attributes have allowed him to flourish at the top table for many years.
Therefore, Farke must push the board to seal a deal for the Newcastle forward on a free transfer because he has the record and the physical attributes to come in as a big upgrade on Piroe to bolster the club's hopes of avoiding an instant relegation back to the Championship.
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