The Leeds United and Joel Piroe link

Yesterday’s news was linking Joel Piroe with a move to Leeds United who are preparing for their season in the Championship following relegation last time around.  It’s the latest in a series of links between Piroe and moves away from the Swans.

Leicester City, Everton, Southampton and Nottingham Forest have all been touted as possible destinations for the striker who is believed – but not confirmed – to want a move away this summer to prove himself at a higher level.

If you take that statement to the absolute meaning of it then you can rule three of the five clubs linked in this country so far although Piroe’s desire to play at a higher level could easily be balanced off against the salary budget that the three relegated teams would no doubt be able to offer.

It has been widely speculated (and reported) that the Swans are keen to cash in for Piroe this summer with reports this week also suggesting that a swap move with Everton was something that the Swans (and the player) was open to due to our interest in young striker Ellis Simms.  Those suggestions though maybe further back now with suggestions in the press last night that Simms was on his way to Coventry.  That certainly means that any genuine Everton interest has to be by way of transfer fee so we watch and see how that one pans out.

Leeds were linked with interest in Piroe last summer and with this week’s appointment of Daniel Farke that interest is suggested to have been reignited.   Their interest did go as far as an approach on the last day of the window but the Swans rejected the chance to take it further and Piroe went onto net nineteen goals for us last season.

Wales Online have reported that Piroe has already told us that he will not be renewing his contract which has twelve months left to run which means we will end up having little choice but to sell him this summer or we lose him for nothing next.  A gamble that the club cannot afford to take.

With forty-one goals in two seasons for the club it is easy to see why there is interest in Piroe this summer and why I can see why a swap deal with Everton seems to make sense.   The club though need to remember here that a striker in demand is a striker who should see his value increase and therefore whilst we will want to deal as soon as we can we should not let one of our crown jewels leave for anything less than what we believe his market value to be.

Leeds join a queue but its quite a lucrative queue from our perspective.