Throughout recent years, Leeds United have been the home to countless top-level attackers who have allowed the supporters to see their club thrive in the Premier League.
Raphinha was undoubtedly the hero of the previous stint in the top flight, as the Brazilian netted 17 goals for the Whites and helped them impress during Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure.
His subsequent form allowed for a mega-money £55m transfer to join Barcelona, but no doubt saw one of the first-team’s biggest assets depart Elland Road.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is Daniel Farke’s current talisman at present, with his subsequent form seeing one player struggle to make the grade in the top-flight.
Why Leeds made the right call offloading Joel Piroe
As part of their efforts to secure promotion from the Championship, Leeds forked out a reported £10m plus add-ons for the signature of proven second-tier talisman Joel Piroe.
During his time in such a division for the Whites, the Suriname international scored 33 times in his 91 outings, subsequently ending the second of the two years as the division’s top scorer.
As a result, his deal was worth every penny, but upon promotion back to the big time, it’s safe to say the 27-year-old was unable to repeat his feats and lost his starting role to Calvert-Lewin.
The former Swansea City man only started twice during the 2025/26 campaign, and subsequently featured in the top-flight for just 256 minutes across the whole campaign.
He failed to score during such a period, with his underlying figures from last season further showcasing his struggles to provide the goods under the German.
|
PL mins for Leeds attackers (2026/27) |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Minutes played |
|
Dominic Calvert-Lewin |
2,726 |
|
Brenden Aaronson |
2,465 |
|
Noah Okafor |
1,568 |
|
Lukas Nmecha |
1,073 |
|
Daniel James |
553 |
|
Wilfried Gnonto |
524 |
|
Jack Harrison |
263 |
|
Joël Piroe |
256 |
|
Facundo Buonanotte |
81 |
Piroe ranked in the bottom 10% of all strikers in the league for shot-on-target accuracy, which highlights his inability to trouble the ‘keeper when the ball fell his way.
As a result, the attacker was allowed to leave to join West Ham United on loan with an option to but this summer, which all but spells the end of his three years in Yorkshire.
Why Leeds’ next Piroe should hand in a transfer request
Given Leeds’ rapid rise up the Premier League over recent seasons, it’s no surprise that numerous players have started to be surpassed by the club and are no longer at the level required for success.
However, if the Whites are to sustain their excellent start to the 2026/27 campaign, it’s vital Farke and the board are brutal in their efforts to move fringe players on in the months ahead.
The deal to offload Piroe in the summer was evidence of their dealings, but he should be joined in moving on to pastures new by fellow striker Lukas Nmecha.
Alongside Calvert-Lewin, the Whites also secured the free transfer of the German attacker in an attempt to provide needed quality and depth in forward areas.
The 27-year-old managed to pop up with numerous key moments during the previous campaign, as seen by his tally of six league goals throughout his 31 outings.
He managed to start 10 of the aforementioned matches, but it’s safe to say his form and minutes have taken a sharp decline throughout the last few months.
The former Wolfsburg man has failed to start any games in the league so far this term, and has only been brought off the bench six times – totalling just 91 minutes.
However, his lack of action is certainly justified, with Nmecha currently enduring a lengthy period without a goal, with his current goalless run spanning a whopping 22 matches.
He has failed to score a competitive goal since the FA Cup victory over Birmingham City back in February, resulting in the forward now going over eight months without a goal.
As a result, he’s starting to show signs of becoming the next Piroe, with the German attacker a player who’s clearly no longer at the level needed for success in the Premier League.
There’s no denying his strikes last season allowed the Whites to fend off any threat of relegation, but his form this term is evidence that he can no longer replicate such form.
Nmecha himself will no doubt be disappointed with a back up role and will crave additional minutes, but if he is to do just that, he may need to force a move away from Yorkshire.
The club should grant such a request in the near future, as any transfer away from Elland Road would hand Farke the funds he needs to land a top-level talent to push Calvert-Lewin for a starting role.
