Leeds United fans will surely be fearing the worst regarding their side’s lack of transfer activity.
Of course, at the moment, the Whites look secure in their Premier League position, with a six-point buffer in place between themselves and 18th-placed West Ham United, but Daniel Farke‘s camp will be stretched to its limits between now and May.
The relegation-threatened side has welcomed Facundo Buonanotte in through the door on a loan basis, but Leeds supporters will be crying out for more eye-catching additions, with the top-flight new boys not giving up on a deal just yet for this exciting attacker…
Leeds remain hopeful of clinching late deal
Injury issues at Elland Road are beginning to trouble Farke’s team selections, with the German not able to call upon Lukas Nmecha as an impact substitute option when Arsenal come to town on the weekend, as the ex-Wolfsburg striker is out with a hamstring blow.
With Gabriel Gudmundsson also nowhere to be seen last time out at Everton, the concern will be that Farke will start to overwork a lot of his troops, if these problems mount any more, with one solution to his striker issues coming in the form of Genk attacker Oh Hyeon-gyu.
Celtic’s Oh Hyeon-gyu arrives before the match
Indeed, reports suggest that Farke’s men have been monitoring the South Korean sensation in January, as they look to bolster up top, but they face stern competition for his services from Fulham.
This isn’t the only deal in the centre-forward department that has been met by a fierce rivalry, with Leeds and Crystal Palace’s head-to-head showdown for Jorgen Strand Larsen well documented at this point.
At one point, it looked nailed on that the wantaway Wolverhampton Wanderers striker was going to finalise a £50m switch to Selhurst Park. However, as per TEAMtalk, the Eagles have now backed away entirely, resulting in Farke and Co. returning to the race for the in-demand Norwegian.
The report states that Leeds retain hope of signing the Halden-born forward before the chaotic window slams shut, with their original £39m offer remaining on the table.
If Leeds were to pull off a last-gasp move for Strand Larsen, they would win themselves a huge upgrade on Joel Piroe, as the Dutchman edges closer to a switch away from Elland Road.
How Strand Larsen would be an upgrade on Piroe
Much like Strand Larsen’s future hangs in the balance at Molineux, Piroe is on very thin ice when it comes to sticking it out in West Yorkshire, past the dramatic January window.
Even as he looks to move on from Farke’s men, amid interest in his services from Rangers, Piroe will be remembered for playing a pivotal role in Leeds’ triumphant promotion last season, when he was actually handed the golden boot accolade for the entire Championship.
A standout 19 strikes would come his way, which more than backed up claims by journalist Josh Bunting that he would be a “dangerous” goalscoring threat for Leeds in the second tier. Yet, while he has proven himself to be a potent goal machine in the Championship, he hasn’t offered enough to the Whites this campaign, jumping up a division.
Zero goals have fallen into Piroe’s lap from 12 matches this season, with a huge upgrade on the faltering number ten arriving through the door, if Wolves deem Leeds’ £39m bid for Strand Larsen satisfactory, before February’s looming deadline.
Strand Larsen’s 24/25 numbers vs Piroe’s
Stat – per 90 mins
Strand Larsen
Piroe
Games played
35
46
Minutes played
2599 mins
3090 mins
Goals scored
14
19
Assists
4
7
Conversion rate %
28.57%
26.76%
Aerial duels won %
40.12%
21.38%
Stats by Squawka
The 6-foot-4 menace has also endured a difficult 2025/26 to date, but in his defence, he does blow Piroe out of the water, still, with six goals put away, even when times have been testing.
Moreover, while Piroe had a golden-boot winning campaign to shout about the season before, he has since proven he is not cut out for the bright lights of the very top. Strand Larsen proved he was capable during a fruitful 2024/25 season; on the other hand, with 14 goals from 35 games immediately standing out.
Weighing up more of his overall numbers from that season next to Piroe’s, it’s also very clear that the coveted number nine is an upgrade on the ex-Swansea City man, when it comes to their physical approaches, with Strand Larsen winning 40% of his aerial duels, next to Piroe’s lesser 21% average in the Championship.
Farke could utilise him in much the same way as a free-flowing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as another goalscoring hero, who can throw himself into duels, enters the building.
It won’t be straightforward for Leeds to win Strand Larsen, but if Piroe were to leave before Monday’s deadline, it’s surely a no-brainer to try and land the “excellent” Norwegian – as he was once labelled by Premier League great Alan Shearer – as his statement replacement.
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Strand Larsen alternative: Leeds making checks to sign Farke’s next Pukki
Leeds United have identified another striker would could join before the transfer window closes.