NafisaThere was already plenty of movement around Daniel Farke’s squad during the summer, despite Paraag Marathe insisting at the end of last season that another major overhaul was not required.
That prediction did not exactly survive the transfer window.
Seven new faces eventually arrived at Elland Road while several familiar names departed, leaving Farke with another significantly reshaped squad heading into the new campaign.
Pascal Struijk was among the early exits, while Leeds were also forced to deal with Karl Darlow turning down a new contract before joining Manchester United on a free transfer.
The response from the Yorkshire club was largely positive, with the likes of Harry Wilson, James Trafford, Tarik Muharemovic and Nico Elvedi arriving to strengthen the squad.
But one of the most intriguing departures came towards the end of the window.
Joel Piroe was allowed to leave Leeds on loan for West Ham, despite the Whites deciding against bringing in another striker to directly replace him.
And now, comments from the Dutch forward have raised eyebrows among Leeds supporters because they suggest that returning to Elland Road may not be particularly high on his list of priorities.
Piroe dropped down the pecking order at Leeds last season and increasingly found himself on the fringes of Farke’s plans.
A move away therefore looked inevitable, with the striker eventually opting to join West Ham as the Championship side look to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
What makes his departure particularly interesting is what Piroe has now revealed about the alternatives that were available to him.
Ajax were reportedly interested in taking the striker back to the Netherlands, but the Dutch giants were ultimately priced out of a deal by Leeds.
West Ham subsequently became the preferred destination, giving Piroe the opportunity to play regularly and attempt to rediscover the form that made him such a prolific Championship striker.
But Piroe also made a comparison between his new home and his former surroundings that is unlikely to go down particularly well in West Yorkshire.
“London is obviously a much nicer city than Leeds. And West Ham has a team worthy of the Premier League”, Piroe was quoted as saying by ESPN Netherlands.
“Just look at the stadium… Sold out, 60,000 fans – that’s not exactly the norm in the Championship. Especially in London, where West Ham United isn’t the biggest or most popular club.”
Those comments are difficult to interpret as a ringing endorsement of a future return to Elland Road.
Piroe has made it clear that his immediate priority is playing football, and West Ham offers him the chance to do exactly that.
Rather than remaining at a Premier League club where he had fallen down the pecking order, the forward has chosen a situation where he expects to have a much bigger role.
“I feel like the Championship gave me the best opportunities to play a lot of matches”, he added.
“When you play a lot, you can showcase your qualities. That’s the main reason I chose a Championship team. You can play plenty of games and quickly find your rhythm. My goal is to score 20 goals.”
That final ambition tells its own story.
Piroe does not appear to have joined West Ham simply to sit around and wait for another opportunity. He wants to play, score heavily and prove that he still has the ability to operate at the highest level.
And there is potentially an even bigger incentive waiting at the end of the season.
Piroe could still get another opportunity to fulfil his ambition of playing regularly in the Premier League if West Ham win promotion.
If the Hammers return to the top flight, the circumstances of the agreement could see the striker remain in London rather than heading back to Yorkshire.
Piroe was not good enough for the Premier League
That possibility makes the decision to allow Piroe to leave without signing another striker particularly fascinating from Leeds’ perspective.
Farke had already made it clear that he did not regard Piroe as the ideal physical option to lead the line in the Premier League.
Despite his goalscoring record in the Championship, the striker struggled to establish himself at the highest level and gradually slipped behind other options in Farke’s thinking.
He remained involved at times, but the consistency and physical presence required to become a leading Premier League forward never quite materialised.
By the end of the campaign, his position in the squad had become increasingly difficult to justify.
Piroe therefore faces a major challenge at West Ham.
He knows exactly what he needs to do: score goals, stay fit, become one of the most important players in their promotion campaign and force his way back into the Premier League conversation.
For Leeds, meanwhile, the situation could eventually become a strange one.
The club have moved forward without him, while Piroe is now attempting to build his own future elsewhere.
His comments about London, West Ham and the opportunity to play regularly certainly do not sound like those of a player desperate to return to Elland Road.
He has not explicitly said that he is “completely done” with Leeds or that he will never wear the shirt again, and there is no evidence of a secret phone call with Farke in which he delivered such a message.
But his words do suggest something almost as revealing: Piroe appears to have found a situation he believes suits him better, and he has every intention of making the most of it.
If he gets his 20 goals and helps West Ham climb straight back into the Premier League, Leeds may discover that their former striker has no reason to look backwards.
Nafisa
