Leeds United
Joel Piroe with the Suriname national team. Credit: Imago
Leeds United spent a lot on recruitment before this season began. Club chiefs wanted the team to have enough quality to challenge on their return to the Premier League.
Almost every area of the squad had reinforcements; the Whites brought in a new keeper, defenders, and midfielders. Fans complained about the lack of attackers in the window, before Leeds brought in Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
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They were still not happy, as they were not convinced that Okafor, Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha could carry the attacking load for the whole season. The trio have had decent seasons, but at the expense of the club’s top scorer in the Championship.
Leeds United ace makes huge blunder on international break
Joel Piroe has been sidelined for a large part of this season, being limited to cameos off the bench and FA Cup games. The striker has scored just one goal this season, and has shown no signs of being a threat to Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin.
Piroe completed a nationality switch to Suriname ahead of their World Cup play-off game against Bolivia. He had a glorious chance to put his country ahead in the first half, but put his effort wide. It was a shocking miss from a striker who managed over 15 goals last season. Suriname ended up losing the tie, and their World Cup dream is now over.
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Joel Piroe might be done at Elland Road
This miss during the international break is not the reason that his time at Elland Road is running out. Daniel Farke has made his decision that the striker is far down the pecking order, but anytime Piroe has been given a chance, he never takes it. He seems to have lost that edge that saw him win the golden boot in the Championship last season.
Leeds United now have two strikers capable of playing at a Premier League level in Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha, so the need for Joel Piroe is negligible. With his contract up in the next year, the Whites need to find a solution. He had suitors in the January transfer window, and last summer, so Leeds will not be short of options if they do put him on the market.