Joel Piroe breaks silence on Leeds United situation as Birmingham City & Rangers lurk | OneFootball

Joel Piroe is desperate to prove himself in the Premier League with Leeds United

For Joel Piroe, his first campaign at the level didn't go exactly as he'd have liked.

The Leeds United frontman established himself as one of the premier strikers in the Championship over the four years he spent at the level at Elland Road and Swansea City before that, scoring 73 times in 179 appearances and winning the Golden Boot in 2024/25.

But, as Daniel Farke's side adapted to the extra demands of the top flight, Piroe was left by the wayside. His only two league starts came in the opening two games of the campaign, with both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha usurping him in the pecking order.

Between matchday three and the end of the season, the 26-year-old played just 110 minutes in the Premier League, being left on the bench 21 separate times. He started and scored in the FA Cup in the interim, but also missed penalties in the competition against Derby County and West Ham United.

With Leeds expected to strengthen even further this summer to establish themselves back in the top flight, there's almost been an expectation that Piroe could move on, with Middlesbrough, Birmingham City, Stoke City and Rangers all credited with interest at the start of the off-season.

Joel Piroe lifts lid on Leeds United exit stance

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However, Piroe has shown his willingness to make it in the Premier League with his current club over the past year.

In January, he played down a move away to earn more game time, and in an interview with Flashscore, the 26-year-old explained that decision and outlined his hopes to remain at Elland Road this summer.

"I just want to prove myself with Leeds in the Premier League," he said. "I had a little bit of the feeling that I didn't want to run away from the challenge [in the winter transfer window].

"If the start is not going as I want it to, then after just half a season to run away from it, that didn't feel right as well. I thought, 'Why run away after half a season when you have not experienced a full season in the Premier League?' I still see my future there.

"Of course, when pre-season starts, I will see and feel a bit more about what the club thinks as well. But for now, I just want to present myself in a way where I can show these are the steps I've made in comparison to last season. And if it's good enough and I get the chances, then I will be really happy.

"And if it's not the case, then we will see what will happen."

There hasn't been any real indication about whether Leeds will be bringing in a new striker just yet this summer, which would no doubt push Piroe closer to the exit door.

With the Whites jetting off to the USA this week for three pre-season friendlies, the Surinamese international will have a big opportunity to prove himself to Daniel Farke ahead of the new season.

Championship clubs will be swirling if Joel Piroe is made available this summer

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Whether Piroe wants to remain at Leeds or not may be out of his hands if the Whites decide that a sale this summer will be optimal as they look to build on a successful Premier League return in the upcoming season.

But rumours linking the 26-year-old to Championship clubs have gone cold in recent weeks.

The links between Boro, Birmingham and Stoke surfaced at the beginning of June, and it was reported shortly after that Kim Hellberg's side had distanced themselves from a move, recently making progress in the signing of Will Lankshear.

But if it's made apparent that Piroe is for sale, there'll no doubt be a lot of Championship promotion hopefuls wanting to sign him, given how reliable a frontman he is at the level.

Additionally, given the 26-year-old's desire to make it in the Premier League, he'd be arriving with a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove, which could lead whoever ends up landing him to be signing a striker who could push 25 goals in the second tier to showcase his top-flight abilities.

For now, though, Piroe seems set on proving himself at his current club. Only time will tell whether he is successful.