Daniel Farke to ‘make major Joel Piroe decision’ as Leeds target Panathinaikos striker
Leeds boss Daniel Farke may be about to make a huge decision on Joel Piroe’s future as he aims to continue bolstering his strikeforce with new signings.
Leeds marched on to the Championship title last season in superb form, as Farke’s side picked up 100 points across the campaign to return to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
Dutch forward Piroe was a key man throughout their success as he netted 19 goals in 46 league appearances to finish as top-scorer and win the second-tier’s Golden Boot award in May.
The Whites have moved to provide competition for his striker spot recently with the free signing of Wolfsburg forward Lukas Nmecha to bolster Farke’s squad, and more arrivals are expected in the coming weeks as Football Insider understand the Whites boss has £150million to splash this summer.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is now closing in on a move to Elland Road [BBC] after he left Everton at the end of June, and Leeds are still seeking to add to their pool of centre-forwards following his imminent arrival, with a big decision now set to be made on Piroe.
Farke to play Piroe at number 10 as Leeds target Ioannidis
According to a new report from the BBC (14 August), Leeds are “tracking” Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis as Farke still wants to add more firepower after Calvert-Lewin is confirmed as a new arrival.
Greek international Ioannidis, who has 48 goals in 168 appearances for the Super League side, is also being targeted by Sporting CP and Porto, while the Whites are also interested in Norwich forward Josh Sargent but he is not a priority as it stands.
With Farke still looking to bring in a striker, it is clear that he wants to have at least three new centre-forward options for the Premier League compared to last season.
The arrival of Nmecha and the potential incomings of Calvert-Lewin and Ioannidis all leave Piroe facing an uncertain future up-front, but Leeds will surely not sell him this summer, with Farke instead seemingly likely to deploy him as an attacking midfielder behind a starting striker.
The 26-year-old started his Leeds career as a number 10 in the early stages of the 2023/24 campaign, while Patrick Bamford and Georginio Rutter played further forward in attack, and he also played there for Swansea City too prior to his move to Elland Road.
Piroe’s ability to play as a striker in the Premier League has been questioned by former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson, and Farke is currently lacking quality options at attacking midfield too, with an inconsistent Brenden Aaronson as his only clear choice there as it stands.
Leeds should accelerate a move to sign Beto
It is pretty obvious what type of striker Farke wants to bring in this summer amid links to Calvert-Lewin and Ioannidis, with both players known for their strength and power as well as finishing ability.
Former scout Mick Brown told Football Insider back in May that Everton striker Beto was on Leeds’ shortlist of targets following promotion after the Toffees forward netted eight top-flight goals last term, and the Whites should make him a priority right now instead of the Greek forward.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 71 | 15 | 2 |
He has stayed put on Merseyside up to now, but Brown also revealed to Football Insider last month that Everton still plan to accept offers of £25million for Beto this summer, and so Leeds should have a clear path to his signature if they are willing to spend such a fee.
The Whites need to push for his signature, as he has already proven his quality and reliability in the top-flight with the Toffees, while Ioannidis would be new to playing in England and could struggle with the intensity compared to the Greek Super League.