Leeds United had enjoyed a relatively quiet summer transfer window, with no major exits or incomings for Daniel Farke's squad, until the last few days.
It was reported that Brentford were set to sign Whites star Archie Gray in a £40m deal but issues over the payment structure meant that the move fell through.
That, however, has not stopped the England U21 international from closing in on an exit from Elland Road as the 18-year-old starlet is reportedly set to join Tottenham Hotspur for £40m.
Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the two teams have reached an agreement for that price and the young whiz has agreed a long-term contract with Ange Postecoglou's side.
Wales international Joe Rodon is also set to come the other way from Spurs to sign for the club on a permanent deal for £10m, after his loan spell in West Yorkshire last term.
These two deals would see them bring back their starting right-sided centre-back from the 2023/24 campaign but lose their first-choice right-back, which could see them dip back into the market for another full-back.
However, they could also be on the lookout for attacking reinforcements and one of their reported targets could come in as an upgrade on Joel Piroe.
Leeds United's interest in young wizard
Last month, the Blackpool Gazette named Leeds as one of a number of clubs showing an interest in a deal to sign Karamoko Dembele from Brest.
The report stated that fellow Championship outfit Sheffield Wednesday had already made an enquiry over a possible swoop to snap up the 21-year-old wizard.
Wednesday and the Whites are not the only sides keen on signing him, though, as the outlet revealed that Everton, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Fulham, Brentford, Leicester City, Southampton, and Middlesbrough are also keeping an eye on the young talent.
This suggests that Farke and his team will face plenty of competition to secure his signature before the end of the transfer window, should they opt to act upon their interest and pursue an agreement with Brest.
The Blackpool Gazette added that it remains unclear as to what the Ligue 1 side's plans for the talented ace, who spent last season on loan with Blackpool, are and this means that it is unknown as to how much he would cost Leeds, or any of the other interested parties.
If the Whites can get a deal over the line for the former Celtic starboy, however, then they could land a player with the potential to be an upgrade on Piroe at Elland Road.
Joel Piroe's mixed success at Leeds
The Dutchman was signed from Championship rivals Swansea last summer and spent the majority of his first year in West Yorkshire as a number ten or second striker.
A centre-forward by trade, Farke opted to start him as an attacking midfielder or second striker in 23 matches, with only 15 outings as a striker.
This appeared to limit his best quality – goalscoring – and highlight the deficiencies – passing and mobility – as he often struggled as a number ten.
Piroe had racked up an impressive tally of 41 Championship goals in his two seasons with the Swans combined, mainly playing as a centre-forward, which was an average of around 20 per campaign.
Instead of carrying that form over to Elland Road, the Dutch attacker ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of 13 goals in 45 league appearances during the regular season.
This shows that his goalscoring rate was affected by the change in position from his spell with Swansea to his first season with Leeds, with seven goals fewer than his average tally in Wales.
Appearances
45
Assists
2
Big chances created
3
Key passes per game
0.8
Duel success rate
38%
Aerial duel success rate
27%
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed ace also struggled to provide much creativity from a number ten role, with just two assists in 45 appearances.
His lack of mobility and athleticism was also on display in a deeper role. Opposition players found it far too easy to get the better of the 6 foot 1 forward as he lost the majority of his duels, and the vast majority of his aerial contests.
Why Leeds should sign Karamoko Dembele
The Whites should now swoop to sign Dembele as an upgrade on Piroe in the number ten position, based on his form for Blackpool last season.
He spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at the League One side from Brest and his outstanding form in the third tier suggests that the potential is there for him to be an excellent addition for Leeds.
Firstly, the 5 foot 6 dynamo is a natural attacking midfielder who can use his speed, athleticism, and creativity to offer far more to the team than Piroe did.
Firstly, Dembele ended the season with a staggering return of 13 assists and 15 'big chances' created in 39 League One outings, compared to the Dutchman's unimpressive two assists and three 'big chances' created.
This suggests that the ex-Celtic man, who boss Neil Critchley lauded as "exciting" and "beautiful to watch", would be a gigantic upgrade on the current Leeds form when it comes to breaking down teams to create chances.
Appearances
45
39
Goals
13
8
Dribbles completed per game
0.5
1.3
Ground duel success rate
42%
56%
Aerial duel success rate
27%
33%
As you can see in the table above, Dembele did not disgrace himself as a goalscorer whilst offering far more from an athletic perspective, with his ability to win duels and dribble past opponents.
This suggests that he is far more suited to playing in a number ten position because he can hold his own in duels in the middle of the park and has the pace and dynamism to burst past players with the ball to open up space in transition.
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Therefore, Leeds could land an upgrade on Piroe by signing Dembele, who produced 23 direct goal contributions (nine goals and 14 assists) in all competitions last term, and hoping that he can translate his impressive form over to the Championship next season.