£14m star must never play for Leeds again

The last couple of years have been a whirlwind for Leeds United, with Daniel Farke the man who’s led the club through all of the highs and lows that come with professional football.

The play-off final defeat to Southampton in the 2023/24 campaign was a cause for concern within the base, as many expected the majority of their key players to depart.

Such fears came to fruition during the summer transfer window of 2024, with the likes of Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray all departing Elland Road.

However, the supporters were handed memories to last a lifetime less than 12 months later, as the Whites won the second-tier title on 100 points to secure a return to the Premier League.

The loss of the aforementioned players appeared to be a blessing in disguise for striker Joel Piroe, who managed to step up to the plate and fire the club back to where they belong.

Why Joel Piroe needs to be sold by Leeds this summer

As previously mentioned, striker Piroe fired Leeds to the Premier League last season, subsequently finding the back of the net on 19 occasions – the most of any player in the division.

However, the 2025/26 campaign has been one to forget for the 26-year-old, with the attacker rapidly falling down Farke’s pecking order over the last few months.

The form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, who have scored 16 league goals between them, has seen league minutes hard to come by for the Suriname international.

After 32 matches, he’s only featured 13 times in the league, with only two of which coming from a starting role – amassing a total of just 217 minutes played to date.

Piroe has been given chances to shine in the FA Cup so far this campaign, but he squandered the opportunity as he missed his penalty in the shootout against West Ham United.

Noah Okafor, another player who was signed last summer, has also moved ahead of him in Farke’s plans, with his two goals against Manchester United only pushing Piroe further away from the side.

Piroe is Leeds’ not only expandable asset

It’s a sad sight to see Piroe now falling down the pecking order at Leeds, but ultimately, he’s a player who’s no longer good enough to make an impact in the senior ranks.

As a result, it would be a surprise to no one if the 26-year-old was sold this summer, with the hierarchy looking to recoup as much of the £15m they paid for him back in 2023.

Any funds generated from his sale would allow the board to reinvest into the first-team squad and further bolster numerous areas ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

However, Piroe certainly won’t be the only player to depart Elland Road in the months ahead, with multiple other players not at the level required for success.

Goalkeeper Lucas Perri was also added to the squad during last summer’s transfer window, with the expectation that the shot-stopper would improve the situation between the sticks.

The Brazilian arrived from Lyon for a fee in the region of £14m, but such a move has proven to be a disaster for both parties – as seen by his recent decline in minutes.

The 28-year-old started the campaign as the Whites’ number one, but he’s recently suffered the same fate as Piroe and fallen down the manager’s pecking order.

Perri has not started a league game since the 4-3 defeat against Newcastle United back in January, with his subsequent minutes coming in the FA Cup.

Karl Darlow has since taken over as the club’s main option in goal, with the Welsh international proving that the manager made the right choice in making the change.

The 35-year-old has now started each of the last 11 games in England’s top-flight, but undoubtedly produced one of his best during the recent win against Man Utd.

He made six saves during the triumph, whilst preventing an xG of 0.80, with such a performance keeping the Whites in the game and securing all three points.

Perri’s future at the club now appears to be getting bleaker as every week passes by, with the hierarchy needing to sell him to avoid losing money on their investment.

His quality ultimately has failed to shine through at Elland Road, with such a deal offering a stark reminder of the risk the club take in signing players during the transfer window.

Sales of the Brazilian and Piroe this summer will no doubt hand Farke crucial funds to improve the squad and hopefully build on their Premier League survival come the end of May.