49ers must be ruthless and force £16m Leeds United ace out of Elland Road in January

Leeds United approached the January transfer window with a more focused outlook, placing greater importance on enhancing their attacking options as they aim to strengthen their fight for Premier League survival.

The Whites have already acted in the market, bringing in Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton after he turned down the same move last summer.

Recent tactical changes have further highlighted the need for additional attacking reinforcements. The shift to a 5-3-2 formation has placed added emphasis on having a consistent goalscorer, while a lack of depth in forward areas has reinforced the urgency to add more quality up front.

Leeds need a striker, but it seems now highly unlikely that they will be able to sign their top target due to purely financial reasons in the ongoing transfer window.

Leeds United must force Joel Piroe out in January to sign another striker

Piroe started the first two Premier League games of the season when the club were still getting Dominic Calvert-Lewin up to speed after signing him on a free transfer.

However, since then, he has played a total of 77 minutes of league football across eight substitute appearances and is firmly a bit-part player at Leeds.

The Whites would prefer to sell him even though they rejected an offer from Celtic due to the 49ers’ association with their Glasgow rivals, Rangers.

However, Piroe is not interested in leaving Leeds and is determined to stick around to score the first Premier League goal of his career this season.

He has rejected multiple offers from the Championship and has indicated that he would only consider leaving Leeds in the summer transfer window.

However, the Whites cannot afford to wait until then and must get ruthless to ensure that they get rid of a bit-part player before the end of the winter window.

Leeds need money to sign a striker, and moving on Piroe could generate the funds to bring in a new forward in the next couple of weeks.

The club cannot wait and need to be more ruthless

Leeds United’s inability to sell Joel Piroe this January is already set to cost them the signing of Jorgen Strand Larsen, who is wanted at a dozen Premier League clubs.

The Whites have already raised the white flag as they have been unable to generate the funds needed to sign the forward in the winter window.

There are other strikers in the market, but any move would have to depend on moving on Piroe and at the moment, he is not budging.

But Leeds need to get ruthless and make it clear to the Dutchman has no future at the club. They can’t carry someone in their squad who Daniel Farke doesn’t trust.

Well-run clubs are ruthless with their decision-making, and the 49ers need to show that streak with Piroe in the final weeks of the transfer window.