The striker was left out of the Leeds United XI vs Birmingham City in Sunday's FA Cup tie
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
07:00, 17 Feb 2026
Joel Piroe had started Leeds United's last two cup games
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Joel Piroe had started Leeds United's last two cup games(Image: Malcolm Bryce/Leeds United via Getty Images)
“I’m struggling, of course,” Joel Piroe admitted to Dutch media last month when asked about his game time at Leeds United.
“Dominic Calvert-Lewin arrived last summer and is currently enjoying a period of scoring a huge number of goals. That’s impressive, especially after the years he’s had. I’ll have to be patient.”
Piroe has started just one game since August, the FA Cup win over Derby County, a few days after those comments were published. He missed a penalty in the first half but responded well with a good performance in the second half.
This was during a time when speculation was circling around his future. Championship and overseas clubs had enquired about the striker amid his lack of Premier League game time, which totals just 44 minutes since the start of November.
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He was the obvious fall guy outsiders were pointing to as a January PSR makeweight for Leeds, who maxed out spending limits over the summer. But Piroe was clear on his stance.
Asked about the possibility of an exit, he replied: “Honestly, that’s not on the cards right now. You never know, what if an opportunity arises that you can’t say no to? But personally, I’m not really keen on making a move this winter.
Joel Piroe was the subject of a number of enquiries
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Joel Piroe was the subject of a number of enquiries(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
“If I have to make a transfer, I’d rather join during pre-season and get fully prepared for a new adventure. But I’m not thinking about leaving right now. I still want and can be of value to Leeds and contribute to staying out of the relegation zone.”
He added: “I feel like I’m definitely not far off getting more minutes. But it’s sometimes difficult to convince someone to give you more chances to show that you’re taking the right steps.”
Since those comments, aside from his 89 minutes at Derby, Piroe has made just one five-minute appearance in the Premier League - coming on at 4-0 down against Arsenal, the team against whom he last started in the top-flight back on August 23.
Piroe’s stance to stay and fight for his place is noble, and there is an element of sympathy towards him amidst cut-throat calls from some fans to see him axed mid-season having been a major cog in the club’s title-winning Championship promotion campaign less than a year ago.
Yet his omission from Sunday’s line-up against Birmingham City must have sounded alarm bells. Lukas Nmecha played a vital role in the 2-2 comeback against Chelsea and his third goal in as many appearances at St Andrew’s justified his selection.
But to only come on as a 78th-minute substitute against a Championship outfit will sting Piroe. But for extra time, he would have less than 15 minutes of action once again.
By next week, Piroe may well have gone a full 12 months having only scored in one game - his four goals against Stoke City on promotion day that ultimately wrapped up the Championship golden boot. The writing seems on the wall.
Joel Piroe seems to be fourth choice striker
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Joel Piroe seems to have fallen to fourth choice striker(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
“If you want to have a player with the ball in front of his feet 20 yards out, I would always go for Joel Piroe, because he's an unbelievable finisher. In these terms, he is really world class,” said Farke in October.
“But on this level, you have to accept that we can't always play the striker position that dominant. Sometimes, different skills are asked for.”
As it happens, it seems Farke was right not to start Piroe against Birmingham given the home side’s dominance in the first half. If Facundo Buonanotte had a howler, Piroe might not have done much better.
When he did come on, he was slow on the ball and did little to do what was required from him - although he did make amends for his penalty miss at Derby by coolly finding the net in the shoot-out on Sunday. He needs to take every little win he can.
Because the chances of him getting prolonged game time seem to get ever slimmer. A summer exit seems inevitable. Going off January, there will be no shortage of takers, albeit it seems a return to the Championship is not on his radar and justifiably so.
At the same time, if he wishes to get a move that whets the appetite then going a full season without a goal will not help. The good news is that the general reduction in natural number nines across the game means his services will always be wanted and valued.
Yet goal-getters thrive on confidence and Piroe’s might be at low ebb. In the short-term the task has perhaps just got tougher amid Farke’s line-up snub. What’s worse, Piroe did not exactly prove the manager wrong when he came on.
It’s always a tough ask when you are low on match time but it’s about seizing the opportunity when you get it - something Farke stressed ahead of the cup tie.
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The reality is that the picture is unlikely to change for Piroe, who is arguably fourth or even fifth choice attacker behind Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson amid Farke’s 3-4-3 possession tactic.
Patience is a virtue and one which will be heavily tested for the 26-year-old for the next three months. Struggle is indeed the apt adjective for Piroe this season.