Dominic Calvert-Lewin made the number nine position his own last season at Leeds United.
The Englishman netted 14 Premier League goals last term. More importantly, he completed the entire campaign without sustaining a long-term injury. Banking on all of this happening again would be risky.
Lukas Nmecha proved to be a solid backup, netting six league goals in his own right, but on the occasions he did start ahead of Calvert-Lewin, the drop-off in performance from the team was noticeable.
The less said about Joel Piroe’s campaign last year, the better. The 26-year-old failed to score a single league goal and looked out of his depth every time he played in the Premier League.
So Leeds wanting to sign another striker is understandable. But according to Graham Smyth, we can already tick one name off the list of potential targets.
Graham Smyth rules out Leeds making a move for Liam Delap
Out-of-favour Chelsea striker Liam Delap was recently linked with Leeds. The 23-year-old struggled to find his feet following his move to West London, with reports suggesting he is available this summer for anywhere in the region of £35-£40million.
Nottingham Forest, Everton and Leeds were said to hold an interest in him.
However, writing for the Yorkshire Evening Post, Smyth ruled out United making a move for Delap.
Smyth claimed that despite these reports from elsewhere, club sources insist that Delap is not a forward they are in for.
The striker position is said to be an area in the squad the 49ers are looking to strengthen, however.
The YEP have also reported United’s admiration for Carlos Espi. In this report, Smyth reiterates that fact but says the Whites are yet to make a move to attempt to secure his signature.
Concerning detail missing from Graham Smyth’s report
Whilst it is positive news to hear we are actively searching for another striker, I couldn’t help but think about what Smyth failed to mention in his report.
There is no word on Piroe’s future. If we did sign another forward, surely that spells the end of his time at Elland Road.
Largie Ramazani was the only player Smyth mentioned when it came to possible outgoings. Perhaps this suggests either Leeds are not forcing Piroe out this summer, or there have been no formal approaches so far this summer for the striker.
Personally, I think the 49ers should make it clear that Piroe is for sale this summer. Keeping him would just be a waste of a squad space, especially if we do sign another striker.
Last season, Piroe played a total of just 315 Premier League minutes (Sofascore). The competition up top for Leeds is seemingly going to get even stiffer if the Whites do bring another body in through the door.
If Piroe has any intention of playing first-team football next season, he’d be looking to move on. It would simply be the best-case scenario for all involved.
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