Monday was the day. Leeds United officially confirmed their promotion to the Premier League at the second time of asking at the start of this week.
The Whites knew that they had a chance to get out of the Championship if they beat Stoke City, and they ran out emphatic 6-0 winners against the Potters.
Five of their goals came in the first half, before Wilfried Gnonto got in on the act in the second 45, and that result meant that they could cheer Burnley on against Sheffield United in the evening kick-off.
The Clarets beat the Blades 2-1 at Turf Moor in a result that confirmed Leeds and Burnley’s places in the Premier League for the 2025/26 campaign, whilst the two teams must still battle it out in the final two matches to see who wins the title.
Daniel Farke can now start to think about his preparations for next season and how his team will attack the top-flight; the players who will remain key to the starting XI, and those who may not be up to the task of stepping up.
One player whose future will be interesting to see unfold is centre-forward Joel Piroe, who has struggled at times this season but provided a reminder of his quality against Stoke.
Why Joel Piroe could be replaced this summer
The former Swansea City marksman is a terrific finisher at Championship level, that cannot be denied, as he has scored 19 goals from 16.41 xG and only missed 12 ‘big chances’ in the division this term.
Piroe scored four goals from four shots, totalling 1.35 xG worth of chances, against Stoke on Monday, showcasing his ruthless edge in front of goal.
However, he found himself completely unmarked in the box for all four of those chances, as the Stoke defenders left a lot to be desired with their performances, and the striker may not get that kind of time and space in the Premier League.
The left-footed forward had failed to score in his previous nine Championship starts, leading to doubt about his place in the team before his exceptional showing on Easter Monday, and Farke may question whether or not he has the attributes to be the club’s starting number nine in the top-flight.
Appearances
44
Dribbles completed per game
0.3
Dribble success rate
33%
Ground duels won per game
1.7
Ground duel success rate
27%
Aerial duels won per game
0.6
Aerial duel success rate
20%
As you can see in the table above, Piroe’s work off the ball has left a lot to be desired in the Championship this term, as he has been dominated by opposition defenders on the ground and in the air.
The 25-year-old striker is too lightweight at times, as shown by his dreadful success rate in duels, and that is a big concern ahead of a Premier League season where Leeds will be with their backs against the wall and fighting to avoid relegation.
All three newly-promoted teams, assuming Ipswich do not win all five of their remaining games and West Ham lose all of theirs, are being relegated from the Premier League this year, as they were the year before, which illustrates how difficult it will be for the Whites.
This means that Leeds will likely need a centre-forward who can alleviate pressure on the team by holding the ball up, duelling with defenders, and by running the channels to stretch the play and open up space for the midfielders to work.
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Unfortunately, Piroe’s physical data suggests that he will not be cut out for thatrole in the Premier League, which is why Farke could replace him with a new signing this summer.
One star from the 6-0 win over the Potters who should not be replaced in the starting XI for next season, though, is right-back Jayden Bogle, who has been an even better signing than Piroe.
Why Bogle has been a better signing than Piroe for Leeds
The English full-back was reportedly signed for a fee of £5m from rivals Sheffield United last summer, whereas Piroe was signed from Swansea for a reported fee of more than £10m in the summer of 2023.
Despite costing less than half as much as the Dutchman, Bogle has been far more consistent in his performances over the course of this promotion-winning campaign at right-back, showing that the club hit the jackpot with their deal for the defender.
Piroe has dipped in-and-out of the team at times, coming off the bench on ten occasions, and has gone through dry spells, with zero goals in nine games prior to the Stoke match, as well as struggling with his lack of physicality consistently throughout the season.
Bogle, on the other hand, has started all 42 of his appearances in the division, averaging 87 minutes played per game, which illustrates how much Farke has relied on him week-in-week-out.
Tackles + interceptions
3.2
xG
5.09
Ball recoveries per game
3.5
Goals
6
Ground duel success rate
55%
Big chances created
9
Aerial duel success rate
53%
xA
5.63
Error led to goal
0
Assists
4
As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old full-back has shown that he can mix defensive quality and strength with outstanding attacking contributions from a defensive position.
Bogle, whose pass to Piroe against Preston was dubbed “tremendous” by Aidy White, has the drive and quality to motor down the right flank to deliver goals and assists – assisting Piroe’s second against Stoke.
The ex-Sheffield United star has also won the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air, without making any errors that have directly led to goals against for Leeds.
Therefore, Bogle is a complete full-back who seems to have the qualities required to make the step up to the Premier League in Farke’s current team, because he has the physicality and the technical ability to deal with the step up.
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This is why he was an even better signing than Piroe because he can handle both sides of the game, making him a player with top-flight potential, and he cost less than half as much, which shows that Farke hit the jackpot by signing him from the Blades.