In the dying hours of the Summer transfer window, there were reports that Leeds United offered striker Joel Piroe in a swap deal for Gustavo Hamer.
Hamer had been a target of Leeds but the club was unable to strike a deal with Sheffield United. The Blades wanted around £18million for the midfielder and had rejected an initial £13million bid from the Whites.
In the end, both Piroe and Hamer stayed put at their respective clubs after the transfer window closed.
Transfer links deemed as ‘retaliation’ from Sheffield United
The reports of any swap deal involving Joel Piroe were immediately shut down by sources around the club. After the transfer window closed, BBC Leeds journalist Adam Pope revealed that the news was leaked from sources at Sheffield United, to respond to the initial offer for Gustavo Hamer.
“There’s a lot of dispute over Joel Piroe. If I’m being honest, it’s my opinion, that’s not true, from what I’ve been told. It was more done as a retaliation to disrupt. So I’m not, I’m not buying that.”
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder was unhappy with how Leeds United conducted business with the Blades this summer. Wilder described the Jayden Bogle signing as ‘Mickey Mouse stuff’ and rubbished the £13million bid for Hamer, claiming it was ‘a million miles off’.
“There have been a couple of bids for players; one was pretty close and another was a million miles off. If and when decisions on players get made by the board then I’ll get notified and we have to have a plan and be ready. It’s a bit of me looking into the future and trying to see who potentially might go.”
What Joel Piroe said during the Sheffield United links
Graham Smyth revealed the behind the scenes information during the Joel Piroe rumours. In his newsletter, Smyth said the forward had been linked to worse clubs during his career. He also claimed that Joel Piroe had no idea who Chris Wilder was:
“The tale goes that when a club employee broached the press speculation with him he responded that there were worse stories during his time at Swansea.”
“Then he asked who Chris Wilder was.”
Piroe is happy with life at Leeds United and has already provided a goal and assist this season. Daniel Farke sees the striker as the natural replacement for Georginio Rutter in his system:
“Joel Piroe, more or less, in this loose striker role, how he interprets it he’s not the classical No. 10 but a bit more like a deeper-lying striker. Of course, he’s perhaps not shining like a mobile No. 10 who runs around full of creativity and pass after pass but what he gives from this position is always to be clinical with finishing and this is what we were missing a little bit in the last days and weeks.
“I wanted also to reward him for his patience, he’s always working hard and patient when a player like Georginio Rutter was playing ahead of him although he’s one of the best scorers of the last three years, I wanted to reward him a little bit with my trust and my backing today. It was not an easy game for him but he also played his part in being rock solid. Yes, he can deliver a bit more being a threat in front of the opponent’s goal, we all know this but I’m happy that we have Joel.”
