Southampton must seal banker Leeds United deal if promotion bid fails | OneFootball

The Saints must go all out to secure the signing of Joel Piroe, provided they remain a Championship team next season.

Southampton have got themselves firmly in the mix for a play-off spot under Tonda Eckert.

And their promotion credentials were fully on show after toppling league leaders Coventry City last weekend.

Flynn Downes was on hand to slot home the Saints' opener in the 48th minute, while Kuryu Matsuki converted from close-range from a corner to double their advantage five minutes from time.

Victor Torp’s penalty in stoppage time gave the Sky Blues a route back into the game, while Daniel Peretz had to be alert in the dying embers to keep out Brandon Thomas-Asante’s snapshot effort.

The Saints managed to hang on and bring an end to Coventry’s six-game winning run, extending their own unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions.

Eckert’s men are hitting form at the right time to get themselves involved in the promotion mix, with their excellent run of form putting pressure on the teams above them to keep grinding out positive results.

While Southampton are on course to have a shot at an immediate return to the Premier League, the club must have some plans in place for player recruitment if they remain a Championship team next season.

And if they are playing second tier football for a second consecutive season, then the Saints should be all over negotiating a deal to sign Joel Piroe, who has thrived at Championship level in seasons gone by and is not getting the game-time at Leeds United that he craves.

A lack of goals in Southampton’s forward department this season

At the start of the season, many Southampton supporters were once again banking on the services of Adam Armstrong to help deliver a promotion push, and he did manage to fire at the top end of the pitch once again, securing 11 goals before moving to Premier League outfit Wolves in the dying embers of the January transfer window.

Since then, it’s been up to loanee Cyle Larin, Cameron Archer and Ross Stewart to provide the ammunition.

But Larin hasn’t been able to hit the ground running during his opening seven games. He did net on his debut against Watford and then a recent late equaliser at West Brom, but Saints supporters will want more from him as the pressure to maintain a top six push increases.

Stewart has managed to return to a clean bill of health and has been firmly involved in the first-team picture of late, but he has netted just five times all term, while Archer has recorded just two goals all season himself and is firmly third-choice in the pecking order.

For a team holding aspirations of getting back to the Premier League as quickly as possible, the forward line just isn’t delivering the goods on a consistent basis, and you do fear it might be what hinders the Saints from either securing a top six place altogether, or going all the way in the play-offs when they need moments of magic in tight games.

Because of this, you wouldn’t mark Southampton as the favourites to win the play-offs, should they make it, meaning that another season in the Championship is likely if none of their forwards can enter a purple patch between now and the end of the regular season.

Joel Piroe guarantees goals at Championship level, and it's something Southampton desperately need

With this in mind, Southampton could really benefit from someone like Joel Piroe, who has a pedigree of netting regularly in the second tier.

The Dutchman has remained loyal to Leeds since their return to the Premier League, but has played nowhere near the amount of games or minutes as he would have wanted, which has led to the forward featuring just 16 times in all competitions and netting only once - incidentally against Championship opposition Norwich City during the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Going back into the second tier is exactly what Piroe needs to restore his confidence, with his time at Elland Road seemingly meandering to an underwhelming end.

At Championship level, Piroe is a certified marksman, guaranteeing goals and adding an extra layer of flair and quality in the final third.

His figures at both Leeds United and Swansea City speak for themselves, netting 73 times across four seasons, with his best goalscoring campaign coming in his debut term in South Wales when he scored 22 times.

And with the 26-year-old set to exit Elland Road in the summer, there is bound to be plenty of Championship interest, as there was when he was linked with a move away during the January transfer window.

Both Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough were believed to be monitoring his situation with the Whites, so if a deal can materialise next season, then the Saints will have to act quickly and ensure that they make themselves his preferred destination.

Despite such impressive form of late, it might be too early for Southampton to get promoted and sustain themselves in the Premier League, whereas another season in the second tier with a more bolstered squad could leave them better equipped for that challenge in the years ahead.

If Southampton could go and wrap up Piroe’s signature this coming summer, then you would put them at the front of the queue to come out and top and make it back to the big time, as the Dutchman’s arrival would finally replace the loss of Adam Armstrong’s departure.

While there will be a heavy amount of interest to come, Southampton must get this signing over the line if they are a Championship side next season, with their promotion hopes potentially resting on the addition of a certified second tier marksman.