Done deal: Leeds United sign Swansea striker Joel Piroe
Piroe joins the Whites on a four year deal for an undisclosed fee, becoming the fifth signing Leeds have made this summer following the arrivals of Ethan Ampadu, Sam Byram, Karl Darlow and Joe Rodon.
The Dutchman has been a long-standing transfer target for the West Yorkshire club, something which is hardly surprising given the forward’s prolific goalscoring record in the second-tier.
Piroe has netted 46 times in 96 appearances across all competitions for the Swans since joining from Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2021 for a fee believed to be in the region of £1-2m.
And whilst the 24-year-old is yet to open his account in the league so far this term, it is expected that he will provide a drastic boost to a Leeds attack which has found itself weakened by the departure of last season’s top scorer Rodrigo to Qatari side Al-Rayyan this summer, as well as through injuries to Patrick Bamford and Mateo Joseph.
A Leeds statement confirming the signing read: “Leeds United are delighted to announce the signing of Swansea City striker Joel Piroe, subject to a work permit and international clearance.
“The 24-year-old Dutchman joins the Whites in a permanent transfer, arriving at Elland Road for an undisclosed fee.
“He has put pen-to-paper on a four-year deal in West Yorkshire, running until the summer of 2027.”
Recent negotiations between Piroe and Swansea concerning an extension of his contract – currently set to expire next year – are understood to have broken down, leaving Leeds able to swoop in what will widely be regarded as one of the best bits of business done in this transfer window.
Leeds are also reported to be close to securing the signing of German playmaker Nadiem Amiri from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of £5.5m.
With the summer trading period set to end in little over a week’s time, there is still room for the Yorkshire giants to strengthen in other areas, most notably at left-back and in midfield.
The Whites travel to Portman Road this weekend to take on table-topping Ipswich Town, with manager Daniel Farke hoping to guide his side to their first league victory of the campaign.
Leeds United are reportedly looking to make several new additions ahead of the summer transfer window slamming shut.
Daniel Farke’s Whites have made four signings so far this summer and, according to the Daily Mail, would like at least four more.
In terms of price tag, Sky Sports have reported that Paintsil has a valuation of around £8.5million.
Our view
Paintsil would be a good shout for Leeds as he’s a talented player who’s heading into his prime.
At 25, he has plenty of years ahead of him, but he also has considerable high-level experience.
Paintsil has played in the Champions League, Europa League, and Africa Cup of Nations.
Earlier this year, scouting outlet Breaking the Lines described him as a player ‘annoyingly elusive for opposition defenders.
‘Once he gets going, it is nearly impossible to stop him in full-flight.
‘The right-footed attacker is blessed with plenty of vision and creativity.
‘His technical ability on the ball is simply unrivaled, capable of turning any number of defenders inside out when he has the ball at his feet.
‘He scores for fun, ruining defences on his own, and his skill is mesmerizing.’
All in all, Paintsil looks like he has a lot to offer Leeds.
With Wilfried Gnonto’s tail seemingly between his legs after coming to the realisation Leeds United really won’t be selling him, the fractious eye on departures turns to Luis Sinisterra. With barely one week of the window to go, the Colombian seems like the last remaining big-ticket item on the shelf at Thorp Arch with any outgoing momentum.
There has been the contractual issue rumbling on and some tentative noises about external interest in Sinisterra, but little else involving his team-mates. Illan Meslier, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter were talents with big potential you pondered as feasible departures at the start of the summer, but nothing has materialised.
While Daniel Farke and the recruitment team work to finally make the additions they have long wanted over this final week, Sinisterra could yet be the one narrative to play out in the other direction. The manager has been clear on where he stands.
“I’m convinced we definitely need his quality and we are 100 per cent willing to keep him because he’s a fantastic player and a player who can make the difference for us,” he said on Thursday. “In this football world, I won’t guarantee anything because tomorrow there could be a crazy offer from Saudi Arabia, about £200m, and it’s a different scenario, or from Real Madrid.
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“For that, no guarantees on this level, but what I can guarantee is we need the quality of this player to be successful and to fulfil our ambitions and we’re willing to do this.”
