The Leeds United ace stayed at Elland Road in last month’s window despite Old Firm interest.
Leeds United striker Joel Piroe has broke his silence after a chaotic January transfer window, which eventually saw him stay at Elland Road.
At various points last month, the Dutchman was linked with both Celtic and Rangers, however a move to either never came to fruition. For Celtic, it didn’t help that Leeds Owner, Paraag Marathe is Vice Chairman of their bitter rivals, while for The Light Blues, Piroe knocked back the move as he wanted to fight for his place back in Daniel Farke’s squad.
As the 26-year old remians behind experienced marksman Dominic Calvert-Lewin and summer signing Lukas Nmecha in the selection pecking order at number nine and has been limited to just 11 Premier League appearances. In comparison to last season, he played every game of Leeds’ EFL Championship charge, scoring 29 times.
Piroe says reason for Old Firm snub backfires
The Leeds striker said he wanted to fight for his place back in the starting XI at Elland Road. He told Dutch media: "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.
“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. I feel like I’m definitely not far off getting more minutes [at Leeds]. But it’s sometimes difficult to convince someone to give you more chances to show that you’re taking the right steps.”
However, thus far, his decision hasn’t paid off as Piroe has only started one game against Derby County in the FA Cup, while his only league action was a five minute cameo against league leaders Arsenal, in a match they were already 4-0 down.
Farke says Piroe is a ‘world class’ finisher despite limited minutes
Leeds have had a very good go at staying in the Premier League after winning the Championship last season and currently sit 15th in the table, six points ahead of the relegation places. With the side naturally not creating as many chances in a better quality league, manager Farke believes Piroe has fell victim of this as he has tended to favour strikers with a more physical presence.
Earlier in the season, Farke explained Piroe's lack of game time: “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. 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.”
Piroe came to Elland Road with a reputation as a £10m signing from Swansea City in 2023 after grabbing over 20 goals in a season for the Welsh side two years running. However, with his minutes now wavering, it could be a classic case of a player being too good for the Championship, but not quite being able to cut it in the Premier League.
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