West Ham sign Joël Piroe on season-long loan | OneFootball

West Ham have announced the arrival of Leeds United striker Joël Piroe on a season-long loan deal. The 27-year-old will join up with Nuno Espírito Santo’s side, and should the club seal promotion back to the Premier League on the first attempt, the loan deal will be made permanent.

Piroe joins from Leeds United, where he spent three seasons, making 118 appearances and scoring 34 goals. He becomes the club’s fifth summer signing following Keiber Lamadrid, Joël Veltman, former Leeds teammate Manor Solomon and midfielder Arne Engels.

“It’s a joy to have got everything over the line,” said Piroe, who will wear the number nine shirt. “I’m delighted to be here, and I’m ready to go,” said Piroe, who will wear the number nine shirt.

“I see West Ham as a Club that really wants to be in the Premier League, and I think should be in the Premier League. With my experience, I think I can help the club achieve what they want, and it’s a good opportunity for me to show what I’ve learnt and how I’ve grown as a football player over the years.

“Nils [Koppen] and Nuno [Espírito Santo] have both been very clear about what the goals for the Club are, both in the short term and in the long term. They talked to me about how they see the team being set up, and it felt like a good match for me. I’m just really looking forward to joining the group, and working with the other guys on the grass.”

West Ham’s number one target in the forward area had been reported to be AZ Alkmaar striker Troy Parrott, but a deal for the Republic of Ireland international collapsed due to a valuation gap. The striker is now close to joining Champions League side Real Betis.

This led the Hammers to approach Leeds for Piroe. It appeared that the Yorkshire side wanted to sell the Suriname international permanently, but accepted West Ham’s offer of a loan with an obligation to buy.

The Dutch-born striker is no stranger to the Championship, having joined Swansea City in 2021 and gone on to make 91 appearances and score 41 goals for the Welsh side.

In 2023, the 27-year-old signed for Leeds, where he made 88 Championship appearances and scored 32 goals, helping the Whites secure the Championship title and promotion back to the Premier League.

However, Piroe struggled in the top flight, failing to score in 16 appearances.

The Athletic reported that Nuno viewed Piroe as one of the club’s top transfer targets this summer due to his proven goal-scoring record in the Championship.

West Ham are set for a busy end to the transfer window with several outgoings being reported and confirmed over the last few days.

German Niclas Füllkrug has joined Werder Bremen on a straight loan. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is set for a Premier League return as Aston Villa have reportedly agreed a loan deal for the right-back.

Jean-Clair Todibo looks set to depart on loan to Marseille, with the centre-back reportedly having agreed personal terms with the Ligue 1 side.

Defensive midfielder Edson Álvarez, who looked increasingly likely to stay in East London, is seemingly close to a move to La Liga side Real Sociedad. The Mexican has reportedly asked West Ham to let him leave.

Piroe’s loan move will allow West Ham to free up funds for other areas after deciding against signing Parrott, who could have cost up to £25 million.