Report: Leeds United now set to launch £15m bid for Everton target, club tempted to accept

According to journalist Alan Nixon, reporting on his Patreon feed, Leeds United want to sign Swansea City striker Joel Piroe, and are hoping to strike a deal worth £15 million. The Welsh side are seriously considering the offer.

Everton considered making a serious push for Piroe earlier in this transfer window, as reported by GiveMeSport.

The Toffees are still in desperate need of a striker. Sean Dyche will have to act fast if he still harbours any ambitions of bringing Piroe to Goodison Park. However, it seems that the Merseyside club have opted to set their sights on Southampton forward Che Adams instead, who at least already has Premier League experience under his belt.

However, Piroe would represent a smart signing for Everton. The Dutchman has been in prolific form for the last two seasons, establishing himself as one of the most clinical forwards in the Championship. The 24-year-old bagged 19 goals in the second tier last season, and got 22 goals in the campaign prior to that.

Dyche needs to solve Everton’s issue with goalscoring as a matter of urgency. Despite the recent acquisition of 19-year-old striker Youssef Chermiti from Portuguese side Sporting, more firepower is needed. With Neal Maupay in horrendous form and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury issues persisting, they have to add a reliable goalscorer before the transfer window closes.

They may come to regret not having pushed harder for Piroe, who looks ready to test himself in the top flight of English football.

Dyche needs to get the last days of this transfer window right if he is to stand any chance of keeping Everton clear of relegation trouble and his own job safe.

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Thirteen players out and barely £4m raised in transfer fees before Tyler Adams made it 14 players and more like £27m in capital. Jack Harrison’s loan from Leeds United to Everton was the latest of the temporary exits.

Seven players have departed the Whites on loan since the end of last season. Robin Koch, Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober are visiting Germany, Diego Llorente and Rasmus Kristensen are sampling Rome, Marc Roca is taking another look at his homeland, while Harrison may be tempted by an annual pass to The Beatles museum.

How many of that septet will realistically play for United again? Promotion in May 2024 seems to be the only way that door is reopened to any of them, but even then, there’s only a couple with a chance of playing well enough to be welcomed back.

Koch will be out of contract next summer, so he’s effectively done. Llorente, Kristensen and Roca never impressed enough to warrant clamour for their returns, while the manner of Wober’s exit burned his bridges in the dressing room.

Aaronson would need to play like a £25m-plus attacker with Union Berlin to warrant any further interest from Leeds fans, and even then, most would probably hope United take the money for him. Harrison has more than enough credit in the bank for a return, but it depends if Everton now have an option or if, indeed, Leeds get that promotion.

Ultimately, it’s a lot of players leaving on temporary terms who would not have been missed if they had just gone permanently at the first time of asking. Yes, there is a boost for the Whites in seeing those salaries taken off the books, but supporters are fair in wondering where the transfer fees are.

The bottom line is these clauses in their contracts take the matter out of United’s hands. When their contracts were signed off by Andrea Radrizzani, Angus Kinnear and Victor Orta, Leeds agreed to let them leave on loan in the event of relegation.

Koch signed those terms in the summer after promotion when Leeds in the top flight was the great unknown. Aaronson, Kristensen and Roca were given that agreement in the weeks after the club survived relegation on the final day of 2021/22.

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Llorente would get his surprise, new contract in December 2022 with the club 15th and two points clear of the drop zone. Wober was given that clause in a similar situation a few weeks later, two points above the bottom three.

Then Harrison signed his new contract in April when the club were as high as 13th, but still only two points from danger. Interested clubs can now take those players for very little, if any, upfront outlay.