Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has issued a challenge to star striker Joel Piroe after he continued his prolific pre-season form in the friendly draw against Villarreal.
Joel Piroe has been scoring goals for fun as Leeds United continue to build for their return to the top flight, having helped fire the Whites to promotion with 19 league goals last season.
However, with Leeds actively scouring the market for a new signing to strengthen their forward line, Piroe is likely to face a fight to start when the Premier League season gets underway.
Leeds have been linked with Rodrigo Muniz throughout the summer, having already snapped up Lukas Nmecha. Still, Piroe keeps scoring, having also found the net in the friendlies against SC Verl and SC Paderborn during the Whites’ pre-season camp in Germany.
Now, with the new season rapidly approaching, head coach Daniel Farke has told Piroe exactly what he has to do to claim a starting shirt as he prepares for his first taste of Premier League action.
Leeds United striker Joel Piroe during a game against Bristol City.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Daniel Farke issues Joel Piroe challenge
Speaking in his post-match press conference following the Whites’ win over Villarreal, Farke told Piroe what he expects as he looks to step up to the top flight.
Joking that he would gladly take another 20-goal season, Farke said Piroe would have to find a new level of intensity to be a success.
“It’s up to him to prove that he’s capable of playing and has a big impact on this level. He’s not played at this level, and for that, it would be a lie if I could tell you or give you some guarantees. It’s always up to the player,” Farke said.
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“I could do with 20 goals, not that I will predict this anyhow, but the sky’s the limit for every one of my players. Of course, we hope that Joel can also prove his worth at the top level, which is never easy and more physical.”
“The game is quicker, and there’s more intensity, and there are always question marks for all the players who have never played there. It’s always up to them to prove their worth on this level. We’ll see what the outcome is.”
Daniel Farke looks on ahead of Leeds United v Villarreal CF - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Francisco Macia/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Leeds United need top-class competition for Piroe
Whilst Farke will undoubtedly be relieved by Piroe’s pre-season form, Leeds have been light up-front for several seasons, and that problem looks set to get worse.
Farke has already declared that Patrick Bamford is surplus to requirements and will not play a part this season. Rising star Mateo Joseph also looks set to leave the club after featuring mainly from the bench last season.
With Joe Gelhardt also linked with a move away from Leeds, Farke could be left with just Piroe, Nmecha and academy prospect Harry Gray to choose from as his main striker.
As a result, regardless of whether Piroe is capable of making the step up, Leeds need to bring in top-level reinforcements as a priority.