During the final few hours of this summer’s transfer window, Leeds United and Sheffield United were caught in a rather surprising swap deal.
Leeds are said to have been seeking reinforcements and were looking to sign Sheffield United’s midfielder Gustavo Hamer.
The transfer saga took an unexpected turn as reports claimed Leeds had not just offered cash but also summer signing Joel Piroe to sweeten the deal.
Leeds Bid for Hamer Raises Eyebrows
Leeds United reportedly made an initial £13 million offer to sign Hamer from Sheffield United but, it didn’t end there.
Rumors then began to circulate that Leeds were prepared to include new striker Joel Piroe in the deal to sweeten the offer.
Leaving fans of Leeds a little confused as to how Piroe only arrived at the club in 2023 after joining from Swansea for £16 million.
Leeds wasted no time in rubbishing those reports with the claims Piroe had been a part of any deal to take Hamer to Elland Road.
Sheffield United were not having any of it, though. It is understood they went as far as trying to unsettle Piroe by planting stories about the deal with Leeds potentially collapsing in order to disrupt their transfer plans.
Piroe’s Struggles Since Joining Leeds
Joel Piroe, since his arrival, has had a challenging start. While he was able to score 13 goals last season, this season he has struggled to find his form, with only one goal so far.
He’s also been playing a little further up the pitch, often as no.10, which has frustrated Leeds fans, especially after his underwhelming performance against West Brom.
And there was considerable criticism and plenty of transfer rumors circling, but Piroe did not get flustered and continued to be everything he is.
Piroe Shines Against Sheffield United
The closing of the transfer window did not have a noteworthy flourish as both Hamer remained at Sheffield United and Piroe remained at Leeds.
The dispute did not dampen Piroe’s confidence, though. In a game against Hull City, Piroe came off the bench to score a composed and cool goal, proving that Sheffield United’s attempts to unsettle him were pointless.
The relaxation proved in addition to objective scoring ability expected for a recreation that reminded everybody why Leeds signed him in the first place.
It was a perfect response to both his critics and the rumors that he was part of a deal for Hamer.
Sheffield United’s Plan Backfires
Sheffield United’s efforts to disrupt Leeds’ plans by unsettling Piroe didn’t go as they hoped.
Piroe did not get rooted down and drop form, instead of disturbing the striker himself made it a motivation to prove his worth.
It was a clear message from his goal against Hull City that despite extraneous factors he continues to concentrate on trying to help Leeds succeed this season.
With Piroe back in form again, Leeds fans will have to hope for both more goals and strikes full of flair from now on.
In the end, it seems like Sheffield United’s attempts to unsettle Piroe were fruitless, and Leeds have an important player in their ranks who is ready to perform when it matters the most.
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1 Comment
Leeds offered a derisory and, quite frankly, stupid amount for Hamer, knowing full well it would be turned down, in an attempt to unsettle Hamer. Just because the same was done to Leeds, they don’t like it.