Leeds United line up £5m transfer move after getting Joel Piroe deal over the line

It’s been a whirlwind week for Leeds United. As we approach the September 1st transfer deadline, the Whites seem to be more frantically chasing transfer targets, with Amiri being one of them.

Though it was revealed that Amiri was opting for a move to France with Marseille, before it was then revealed that the Ligue 1 side couldn’t agree a deal with Leverkusen, and that a move to Elland Road was back on.

And The Athletic revealed last night that Daniel Farke’s side had agreed a deal with the German outfit to sign attacking midfielder Amiri for an initial £5million.

Phil Hay added last night that Amiri was still in Germany, but that he looks set to be the next arrival in Yorkshire after Leeds poached Joel Piroe from Swansea City.

Fabrizio Romano has also, seemingly, confirmed Amiri’s imminent arrival at Leeds United, by tweeting:

The German has proceeded with enough caution but he’s also made it clear what Leeds United need, and now it seems like those off the pitch are providing him with what he needs to perform on it.

Piroe is a quality signing and Amiri looks like another promising one. The pair will really bolster Leeds’ attacking threat and both could yet feature in this weekend’s Championship clash away at Ipswich Town.

It could yet prove to be Leeds’ toughest assignment of the season so far with Ipswich having won all three of their opening league fixtures.

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Kieran McKenna’s men have pulled no punches since sealing promotion from League One last time out and have emerged as the second-tier’s form team to date, winning all of their opening encounters.

Ipswich launched their way out of League One in sensational style, scoring 101 times while deploying a slick, progressive brand of football to gain promotion in second place.

That has generated a palpable feel-good factor around Portman Road, which has been maintained across the summer and into their initiation to life back in the Championship.

Chelsea prodigy Omari Hutchinson has arrived on loan alongside Brandon Williams, who spent time with bitter rivals Norwich City but has close to 50 Premier League appearances at the age of 22, while George Hirst’s temporary stint was made a permanent one back in July.

Interestingly, though, thus far the real contributors have been the players who helped Ipswich to promotion.

Nathan Broadhead and Hirst- both of whom emerged as a duo to be reckoned with last season- sealed an impressive opening day victory away to Sunderland.

Then, Luke Woolfenden and Kayden Jackson got on the scoresheet to guide a 2-0 win on home soil over Stoke City the following weekend, before 26-goal forward Conor Chaplin’s late strike brought Ipswich all three points from last weekend’s trip to QPR.

Ipswich sit atop of the league table at the time of writing and are very much riding the crest of a wave.

When a team has the momentum that they have, they prove pretty hard to beat and Leeds United may just have their work cut out.

Circumstances have not been quite so plain-sailing for the Whites, who currently find themselves all the way down in 19th place following a turbulent start to proceedings.

Relegated from the Premier League at the end of the previous campaign alongside Leicester City and Southampton, an expectation has been set of Leeds that they have struggled to match right from the offset and they are yet to chalk their first three points on the board.

They required a late comeback to secure a point against Cardiff City at home on the opening weekend, with the visitors even racing into a shock two-goal lead before being pegged back by Liam Cooper and Crysencio Summerville.

Leeds did not go one better the following weekend, though, where they were on the receiving end of a late goal this time through Lukas Jutkiewicz’s penalty in additional time away at Birmingham City.

The subsequent 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion at Elland Road last Friday was an improvement, of course, but it illuminated notable shortcomings and has done little to raise the mood around the club.

The pundit is full of optimism for Ipswich, and predicts them to continue their perfect start when the Whites roll into town tomorrow afternoon with a slender 2-1 victory.

In his Sky Sports prediction column, he wrote: ” Top of the league! At least heading into the weekend, Ipswich have enjoyed a perfect start to the campaign.”

“They have shown they belong in the Championship, and this is a chance to lay down an early marker.

Leeds battled to a point against West Brom last week, and were very unfortunate in how they fell behind.

“Credit to them, but the closure of the transfer window cannot come soon enough for Daniel Farke. I’m backing a narrow home win here.”