Category Uncategorized

Leeds United are currently preparing for a second straight season in the Championship after they fell short of achieving promotion this season. The Whites made it all the way to the play-off final at Wembley last month only to lose 1-0 to Southampton, thanks to a first-half goal from Adam Armstrong.

Daniel Farke and his team must now navigate the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business on Friday, to end it with a squad that is capable of fighting for promotion once again.

It has already been reported that the Yorkshire-based outfit are unlikely to bring Connor Roberts back from Burnley however, as the recently relegated side may not want to strengthen a rival, whilst Alfie Gilchrist from Chelsea has been linked as a target in that position as well.

Leeds United's interest in Championship star

According to Leeds Live, the Whites are eyeing up a possible swoop to sign Sunderland right-back Trai Hume, as Farke seemingly targets a deal for the defender. The report claims that the Northern Ireland international is a transfer target for the club this summer as they look to bolster their defensive options ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Central midfielder Archie Gray spent the majority of this season deputising at right-back and could move back to his preferred position if Leeds can strike a deal for Hume, or another full-back, over the coming weeks or months.

LeedsLive add that they are set to fight multiple Premier League sides to land the Black Cats star, who has attracted attention from a host of clubs with his performances in the Championship.

The outlet names Leicester City, Aston Villa and Bournemouth as three of the other English teams eyeing him up, alongside Italian outfit Napoli.

This suggests that there is plenty of competition to land his signature before the end of the summer transfer window, whilst it remains to be seen whether or not Sunderland are prepared to cash in on him.

Why Hume could be a good Roberts alternative

With a second deal for Roberts reportedly being unlikely, Hume could be snapped up as a fantastic alternative to the Wales international ahead of next season. The £3k-per-week defender, who was once described as "outstanding" by journalist Josh Bunting, is a proven Championship performer who could come in and hit the ground running at Elland Road.

Roberts only started two league games for Leeds during the second half of this term but did feature regularly in the division for Burnley during the 2022/23 campaign as they won the title.

Appearances

46

43

Assists

1

6

Big chances created

4

0

Tackles per game

3.3

1.1

Interceptions per game

1.4

0.6

Duel success rate

58%

56%

As you can see in the table above, Hume's displays on the pitch for the Black Cats this season were more impressive than the Welsh ace's were for the Clarets in their title-winning year. Despite ending with five fewer assists, the Northern Irish whiz created four more 'big chances' for his teammates, whilst winning possession back through tackles and interceptions significantly more frequently.

Leeds could sign £14m "unsung hero" to replace Gnonto

The Whites are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the South American star this summer.

ByDan Emery Jun 17, 2024

Therefore, the potential is there for the 22-year-old ace to be a fantastic alternative to Roberts due to the quality he could provide at both ends of the pitch.

Pakistan 190 for 4 (Hafeez 86*, Haider 54, Jordan 2-29) beat England 185 for 8 (Moeen 61, Riaz 2-26) by five runsA 100-run partnership between two men two decades apart in age saw Pakistan eke out their first win of the tour on the day before they are due to return home. It denied England a sixth consecutive T20I series win, while Pakistan pick up a first away win in any format since the ODI World Cup last year. The 39-year old Mohammad Hafeez was the standout star of the win, caressing an unbeaten 52-ball 86 to power his side to 190, while a valiant fightback, spearheaded by Moeen Ali’s 33-ball 61, fell just five shy of powering England to a stunning win.It was a series that came down to the final ball, quite literally, and when Tom Curran lifted Haris Rauf for a gorgeous six over extra cover off the penultimate delivery, England needed one more such blow to seal a series win. Babar Azam panicked, while a swarm of fielders rushed to pester the fast bowler with all kinds of advice. He blocked it all out and sent down an unplayable yorker at 90mph to secure the win, the final two balls a microcosm of Pakistan on tour, and Pakistan in general. One minute down, next minute up.It was Hafeez, perhaps unfairly lumped in with Shoaib Malik as an example of the visitors’ failure to adopt modern T20 practices, who provided the ballast to get the innings back on track after a faltering start. With Moeen having removed Fakhar Zaman early, and Curran knocking Babar’s stumps back soon after, England were enjoying the perfect Powerplay. Hafeez stablised the innings while Haider Ali, with the impudence of youth, went hell for leather, but once he lofted Adil Rashid for a six over midwicket, he roared straight into top gear. Helped, at times, by England bowling to his strengths and missing their lengths, Hafeez plundered 69 off the next 34 balls to spearhead the innings, taking them to within touching distance of the total that proved just short on Sunday.Pakistan began this tour two months ago in a protective bubble, but when, on the final day, they removed the bubble-wrap off their youngest squad member, they discovered quite the player residing within. Haider began his T20I career looking like a man who knew how this format needed to be played, clearing his front leg off the second ball he faced, depositing it over cow corner. Time and again, when England appeared to set a field willing to yield a single to him in that area, he declined the deal, opting to go over the top instead. Having sat out and watched England ease to a target of 195 two days ago, he didn’t need complex statistical information to recognise a boundary would be handier than a single. Within no time, he had become the first Pakistani to score a half-century on debut, one that came in just 28 balls.Wahab Riaz gets a hug•AFP

Pakistan decided to leave out Mohammad Rizwan, so often sensational behind the stumps, in favour of Sarfaraz Ahmed, for a greater perceived ability with the bat. But while he didn’t feature in the first innings, but when a key moment arose, Sarfaraz froze. Quite literally, and somewhat inexplicably, when Shadab fooled the out-of-form Moeen to leave him stranded outside his crease, Sarfaraz failed to gather properly. Time stood still as Moeen looked back and watched helplessly, waiting to see the bails whipped off, while Sarfaraz appeared to cradle the ball, unable to get it to his hands, and then to the stumps. With England so far behind in the game, it seemed like a comedic footnote. When Moeen stormed to a half-century half an hour later, no one in green was grinning.While the defeat might sting, Moeen’s return to form may yet prove the biggest positive for England. When, in the 16th over, he hit three sixes in four balls off Shadab, expending less energy than it presumably takes most people to butter bread, the idea this was a man out of form and bereft of confidence stretched credulity. When he displayed his T20 smarts with a couple of sneakily stolen boundaries off Shaheen Afridi in the 18th, to bring England within touching distance of victory, he seemed indispensable. Now, he may well be.England’s first ten overs with the bat, though, was perhaps what cost them most dearly. With the game being played on a fresh pitch and a very short boundary on one side, the hosts would have fancied a chase of 191, but that became significantly more challenging when Afridi bowled Jonny Bairstow with a perfect outswinging yorker that took the base of the off stump with it. Dawid Malan fell trying to clear the square leg boundary, only for Fakhar Zaman to pluck it out of the air on tiptoe, but Tom Banton kept the momentum going. With his captain Eoin Morgan, he struck up the sort of partnership that might have put them back on track, notably never letting the normally economical Imad Wasim settle, spanking four fours off his first seven balls.It would all end horribly, though, with Morgan, in the form of his career, dismissed in the worst possible way. Brilliant work in the circle saw Azam cut off what should have been a boundary, and Morgan, cantering towards the other end, found himself stranded mid-pitch. It put even more pressure on Banton to ensure he went deep, but he fell five balls later to Haris Rauf, trapped in front and ruled lbw on review. It meant asking a shade too much of the lower order, even if, on a tour where social distancing dominated the conversation, England got uncomfortably close.

Southampton manager Russell Martin has provided a significant injury update regarding one important Saints player ahead of their Championship play-off clash with West Brom.

Southampton preparing for play-off clash

Saints finished their 46-game Championship season with an impressive 2-1 win away to Leeds United on Saturday afternoon as they got the better of their fellow promotion hopefuls.

Related Championship play-offs 2024: Fixtures, ticket info, prize money & more

FFC looks forward to the 2023/24 Championship play-offs with all you need to know, including updated ticket information.

Posts ByLuke Randall May 20, 2024

It was a strong end to what has largely been a positive campaign at St Mary's, but they now face the lottery of the play-offs, joining Leeds, West Brom and Norwich City in the battle to join Leicester City and Ipswich Town in the Premier League next season.

Southampton ended up finishing in fourth place, meaning they have lined up a two-legged semi-final meeting with West Brom, as they look to get the better of the Baggies and seal a place in the final at Wembley later this month.

In order for the south coast side to have the best possible chance of returning to the top flight at the first attempt, they need as few injuries as possible, but Martin saw key striker Che Adams leave the field prematurely at home to Leeds. It was an immediate worry ahead of next Sunday's trip to the Hawthorns to take on the Baggies, putting the Scotland international in doubt for the game.

Martin drops significant Southampton news

Speaking after the Leeds game on Saturday [via the Echo], Martin gave a positive Southampton injury update regarding Adams. Clearly, the Saints boss had no intention of taking any chances, especially with their league position safe.

"He felt a bit of tightness. There is no point carrying on and risking him after that. I think he will be alright. Thankfully we also had Ross Stewart to bring on today, which was really amazing for us."

This has to be seen as an encouraging update for Southampton, considering Russell seems confident of Adams making a swift recovery, and he does at least have a week to further work on his recovery.

The 27-year-old would be a massive loss for Saints given the fact that he scored 16 goals in the regular Championship season and netted twice in the FA Cup, also chipping in with four assists. Ally McCoist has lauded him in the past, too, which is high praise from Scottish legend, saying:

"First and foremost, we now have a striker who is a first pick every week for a very good team in the English Premier League. It’s been a long time since a Scotland manager has had that luxury. Adams has started his international career really positively and has scored in the last two games against Moldova and Denmark. Apart from that, his general play has been terrific."

Related Southampton can ease big injury worry by unleashing "unbelievable" star

Southampton will hope other strikers can come up trumps if this star is out injured.

Posts ByKelan Sarson May 5, 2024

Adams' vast experience could be priceless for Southampton in the two legs against West Brom and in the final if they make it, so the hope is that he is in the starting lineup at The Hawthorns next weekend, shrugging off this current knock.

Manchester City star Kyle Walker is "disappointed" after he was axed by new England boss Lee Carsley for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Walker has 90 international caps
• Left out by Carsley in favour of Livramento & Lewis
• Vows to win his place back with The Three Lions

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Carsley, stepping into the England manager's role after Southgate’s departure, named his first England squad last week. The selection marked a fresh start for the national team, with several notable changes made under Carsley’s management. One of the most significant absentees from the squad was the experienced Walker, a player who had been a key figure during Southgate’s tenure, including England’s recent Euro 2024 campaign.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Carsley introduced four newcomers to the team: Angel Gomes, Tino Livramento, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Noni Madueke. Livramento and Trent Alexander-Arnold, alongside Walker’s Manchester City teammate Rico Lewis, will compete for the right-back position as the 34-year-old defender faces an uphill task in making a comeback into the international fold.

• WHAT WALKER SAID

  Although crestfallen, Walker admitted that Carsley’s decision to leave him out of the squad for these upcoming matches is justified, given his current lack of playing time for Manchester City this season.

  "I’m disappointed," Walker acknowledged. "You have to accept it and just try to prove them wrong. With a new manager, you are always expecting a few changes. I'm disappointed because to represent your country is always the highest thing. But I haven't played any minutes this season so you have to take it on the chin. I've not performed at any level since coming back from the (Euro), so I think it's the right call from him."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  When explaining his squad selection for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Finland, Carsley highlighted Walker’s lack of minutes as a key reason for his omission.

  "I wanted to put a mark on the squad," Carsley said. "Kyle hasn’t played this season. City are phasing him in gently and we have to respect that."

Tom Brady claimed he will take Lionel Messi to Birmingham City after the NFL legend was present at Inter Miami's 2-0 win over FC Cincinnati.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Brady watches Inter Miami win 2-0
• Meets Messi and Miami owner Beckham
• Jokes he will take Messi to Birmingham

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Brady became a minority shareholder at Birmingham City last year and has been actively involved in the footballing circuit. The NFL legend is now retired and made his way to Inter Miami's DRV PNK Stadium ahead of their Major League Soccer clash against Cincinnati.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Brady met up with Messi and Inter Miami owner David Beckham and the trio watched from the stands as Luis Suarez scored a first-half brace to secure the Herons' spot in MLS Playoffs. The three also posed for a photo together as Beckham labelled the two superstars as 'The greatest'.

• WHAT BRADY SAID

  Under Beckham's post, Brady commented that he plans to take Messi back with him to Birmingham City. He said: "I'm bringing Lionel Messi back to Birmingham with me. Sorry, David Beckham."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

  The eight-time Ballon d'Or is currently out injured and is not expected to return for some more time. However, Beckham and Inter Miami boss Tata Martino will hope that Messi will be able to return in time for the start of the playoffs in October.

New Manchester United signing Leny Yoro has undergone surgery successfully, and the 19-year-old has provided an update.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Yoro undergoes surgery on ankle Sends positive update to Man Utd fans Expected to return after three monthsWHAT HAPPENED?

Yoro made the switch from Lille to Manchester United for a reported fee of £52 million ($66m) earlier this summer as the Red Devils looked to bring youth into their set-up ahead of the 2024/25 season. However, the Frenchman suffered an unfortunate injury during their friendly against Arsenal and has now undergone surgery on his injured ankle. The 19-year-old has now shared an upbeat statement on Instagram as he begins his rehabilitation.

AdvertisementWHAT YORO SAID

In his Instagram post, Yoro said: "This is not the start I wanted, but that’s football… The operation went well. Thank you for your many messages of support. Now, time for patience and rehabilitation work.

"See you soon, stronger!"

Getty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Following the end of a rather disastrous Premier League season that saw Manchester United's leaky defence concede a record number of goals, the Red Devils top brass decided that there needed to be a dressing room overhaul, especially in defence. As such, they let go of Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala and signed Yoro. United are also reportedly looking to sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka and sign Bayern Munich's Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR YORO?

The Frenchman is set for a lengthy spell on the sideline as he is said to be expected to be out for close to three months. However, Yoro will hope to have a quick return to action as he begins his recovery soon.

تحدث مدرب برشلونة هانز فليك، عن فوز فريقه أمام إسبانيول ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وتغلب برشلونة على إسبانيول بديربي كتالونيا، بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف، في الجولة الثانية عشر للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

وقال فليك: “لقد فقدنا الكثير من الكرات في الشوط الثاني، لم تعجبني الطريقة التي لعبنا بها”.

وأضاف بشأن الفوز بالديربي: “أنا سعيد جدًا بالنقاط الثلاث، الديربي دائمًا ما يكون معقدًا”.

وعن وجود عدد كبير من لاعبي خط الوسط في برشلونة، أردف: “سألعب بستة لاعبين، كلهم ​​جيدون جدًا، وهذه ليست مشكلة”.

وأكد: “أنا سعيد جدًا بعودتهم وبمباراة داني أولمو اليوم، سأقوم بحساب الدقائق شيئًا فشيء، لتجنب الانتكاسات المحتملة”.

وأشار بشأن مصيدة التسلل: “هذا جزء من اللعبة، إنها فكرتنا عن المباراة، في الشوط الثاني لم نسيطر كما نفعل عادة لأننا لم نضغط كثيرًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | أولمو بعد ثلاثية برشلونة أمام إسبانيول: نمر بمأساة وما كان يجب أن نلعب اليوم

وتابع فليك: “لقد أنهيت المباراة وأنا راضٍ، هناك ثلاث نقاط، لقد كان ديربيًا، أنا سعيد بالنتيجة وبالنقاط الثلاث، لقد قللنا من شدتنا في الشوط الثاني، وكان لدينا اهتمام وتركيز أقل… سجل أنسو لكن تم إلغاء الهدف”.

وعن داني أولمو، أوضح: “إنه يعرف كيف يسجل، لقد كان مهمًا جدًا اليوم، وفيرمين، الذي لعب ضد بايرن ميونخ وريال مدريد، نحن سعداء جدًا بعودة داني، على الرغم من أنه ليس لائقًا بنسبة مائة بالمائة”.

وأكمل: “في الشوط الثاني، لم أرغب في إجراء العديد من التغييرات، لقد فقدنا التركيز قليلاً، وارتكبنا الكثير من الأخطاء، أحب تغيير اللاعبين، وأحب الاحتفاظ بالهدافين، لكنني أردت إخراج اللاعبين من الملعب، جافي، فيرمين، فرينكي دي يونج… كان يتبقى لدينا تغييران، كان بإمكاني القيام بالمزيد في وقت أقرب”.

وسُئل عن البدء بهيكتور فورت أساسيًا، وأجاب: “هذا قراري، إنه يؤدي بشكل جيد للغاية، عليك أن تدرك أنه يبلغ من العمر 18 عامًا فقط، لديه ثقة كبيرة في نفسه، إنه مستعد، يعرف أين يمكنه التحسن، إنه يتدرب جيدًا”.

كما سُئل فليك عن موقف فيران توريس الذي لم يتواجد مع الفريق، حيث أعرب اللاعب عن إحباطه وحزنه بسبب مأساة مدينة فالنسيا المتضررة من الفيضانات وانتقاده للحكومة الإسبانية.

وأجاب: “أفهم أنه غير قادر على اللعب أو القدوم لرؤيتنا، هناك أشياء أكثر أهمية من كرة القدم في هذه الظروف”.

وشدد فليك: “هناك العديد من المباريات، سنجري تغييرات، ثم هناك استراحة للمنتخب الوطني، ثم فترة أخرى في عيد الميلاد، نحن بحاجة إلى جميع اللاعبين، الجميع يريد اللعب وهذا أمر طبيعي، الجميع يريد أن يكون أساسيًا لكننا نتحدث معهم وهم يعرفون ما هو الوضع وما يمكن أن يتوقعوه”.

وأتم: “نحن نستعد جيدًا لجميع الفرق، أنا لست خائفًا، أنا أثق في الفريق، إنهم يقومون بعمل جيد، يجب أن يظهروا ذلك على أرض الملعب، المشجعون سعداء جدًا بالطريقة التي يلعب بها الفريق وهذا ما يجب علينا فعله”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Reserva durante grande parte da última temporada, Mateus Vital tem sido um dos destaques do Corinthians em 2021. Nesta quarta-feira, na goleada por 4 a 0 sobre o River Plate, do Paraguai, pela Copa Sul-Americana, o meia marcou o seu 5º gol em apenas 13 jogos e reassumiu a artilharia da equipe de forma isolada.

O curioso é que, mesmo com poucas partidas disputadas – ficou um mês e meio sem jogar após passar por uma artroscopia no joelho direito -, esse já é o maior volume de gols de Vital em uma temporada desde que se tornou profissional, em 2015, ainda no Vasco. E chama a atenção também a evolução na conclusão das jogadas ano a ano.

Mateus marcou seus dois primeiros gols apenas em 2017, ainda no Cruz-Maltino, e repetiu a dose em 2018, já vestindo a camisa do Corinthians. Em 2019, foram três bolas na rede. No ano seguinte, com menos jogos, marcou quatro vezes. E agora já são cinco.

Aos 23 anos de idade, Mateus Vital vive o seu melhor início de temporada da carreira e se torna uma das armas corintianas para surpreender no Campeonato Brasileiro.

MATEUS VITAL ANO A ANO

2015 – 1 jogo e 0 gols
2016 – 5 jogos e 0 gols
2017 – 31 jogos e 2 gols
2018 – 58 jogos e 2 gols
2019 – 52 jogos e 3 gols
2020 – 40 jogos e 4 gols
2021 – 13 jogos e 5 gols

RelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians triplica número de gols na despedida da Sula e ganha confiança para o BrasileirãoCorinthians27/05/2021CorinthiansCorinthians fez o dever de casa com goleada e mostrou opções a SylvinhoCorinthians27/05/2021VídeoVÍDEO: Assista aos belos gols do Corinthians em goleada sobre o River Plate-PAR pela Sul-AmericanaVídeo27/05/2021

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians entra em campo neste domingo, contra o Novorizontino, já classificado para as quartas de final do Paulistão e com a primeira posição no Grupo A garantida. Apesar disso os holofotes estão voltados para a partida na Neo Química Arena, pois seu resultado afeta a classificação do Palmeiras e do próprio adversário no estadual. No entanto, o Timão também tem objetivos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians bate o Internacional e estreia com vitória no Campeonato Brasileiro sub-17Corinthians08/05/2021CorinthiansCorinthians terá dois patrocínios pontuais para o Dérbi deste domingo no futebol femininoCorinthians08/05/2021CorinthiansPerto de mais uma maratona, Mancini diz que Corinthians vai buscar a vitória no domingoCorinthians07/05/2021

TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2021 clicando aqui

GALERIA
>Fagner 400 jogos! Veja jogadores que mais vestiram a camisa do Corinthians

Não é segredo para ninguém que uma vitória ou um empate do Alvinegro ajudará e muito o Verdão a ir para a fase de mata-mata do Campeonato Paulista. Isso porque se o Novorizontino não vencer e o Alviverde conquistar os três pontos, o eterno rival corintiano garantirá vaga nas quartas de final. Uma derrota alvinegra já elimina qualquer chance palmeirense de classificação.

No entanto, engana-se quem pensa que o Corinthians não tem mais o que fazer na competição e uma derrota não afetaria sua vida. Se olharmos bem a tabela, veremos que não vencer neste domingo pode acarretar problemas nas próximas fases do Paulistão, mais especificamente na questão do mando de campo da semifinal e da final, já que a pontuação continua contando.

Se perder para o Novorizontino, o Timão vai para as quartas de final com 22 pontos para enfrentar a Inter de Limeira. Passando para a semifinal, terá no máximo 25 pontos. Os mesmos 25 pontos que o Red Bull Bragantino terá se vencer na última rodada, podendo chegar a 28, caso passe das quartas. O time de Bragança, numa possível semi com o Corinthians, poderia jogar em casa no duelo em jogo único, por conta da vantagem na pontuação acumulada.

Em meio a mais uma maratona, dessa vez com partidas decisivas de duas competições diferentes, Vagner Mancini não gostaria de ter uma viagem para fora da capital paulista. Garantir pontuação suficiente para decidir a semi em casa é um motivo suficiente para vencer o Novorizontino. Pensar em jogar o confronto de volta da final na Neo Química Arena ainda dependeria de tropeços do São Paulo, mas é preciso estar preparado para isso também.

Mas as motivações não param por aí, há também o contexto histórico a ser abordado, uma vez que se vencer no domingo, o Corinthians chegará aos 25 pontos, sua maior pontuação na fase de grupos deste formato do Paulistão. O recorde até aqui é o de 2017, quando marcou 24 pontos, naquela que foi a primeira edição com o regulamento atual. Uma campanha expressiva, diga-se.

Com um novo esquema sendo implementado no time, Vagner Mancini também pode usar a partida pra testar jogadores que não vêm atuando na equipe titular e que possam precisar ser usados ao longo das próximas decisões. Uma vitória neste domingo traria ainda mais confiança para as mudanças e para esses atletas que estão buscando seu espaço e que poderiam ganhar uma vaga. Lembrando que o treinador já disse que vai rodar o elenco na maratona.

É claro que parte da torcida corintiana gostaria de ver a equipe perder para ter o gostinho de ajudar a eliminar o rival ainda na primeira fase, principalmente aquele rival que conquistou o título em cima do Timão no ano passado. No entanto, racionalmente, pensando de forma estratégica, somar pontos é importante demais para abrir mão disso em nome da rivalidade. Os motivos estão aí, apesar de o clima de decisão estar todo nas costas do Novorizontino.

continua após a publicidade

Leeds United maintained their place in the automatic promotion places in the Championship with a 3-1 win over Leicester City at Elland Road on Friday.

The Whites went 1-0 down to a header from Foxes central defender Wout Faes during the first half but battled back to score three late goals to secure all three points.

An own goal from Faes was sandwiched between strikes from Connor Roberts and Patrick Bamford, and the result has left the Yorkshire-based outfit just six points behind the league leaders.

However, one player who did struggle for Leeds on the night was centre-forward Joel Piroe, who was signed from Championship rivals Swansea City last summer.

The left-footed marksman has endured mixed success so far this season and the club may look back on their decision to sell Rafa Mujica, who has outscored the 24-year-old attacker this season, back in 2021 as a howler.

Joel Piroe's performance against Leicester

The Dutch forward failed to showcase his quality in front of goal for the Whites with a wasteful performance at the top end of the pitch for Daniel Farke.

He was handed the opportunity to lead the line, with Georginio Rutter in the hole behind him, at Elland Road but did not do enough to grasp that chance.

With the score at 0-0, Wilfried Gnonto brilliantly worked the ball into Piroe's feet inside the box and the attacker blazed a right-footed shot over the bar.

Meanwhile, Crysencio Summerville was in acres of space to his left and could have had a free shot at goal from close range had the striker opened up his body and slotted a relatively simple pass to his teammate.

The former Swansea star then got on the end of a cross from the right side after being left unmarked inside the box and sent his header miles wide of the post.

Piroe was substituted for Bamford, with the score at 1-0 to Leicester after a return of zero key passes and zero duels won – out of three contested – in 64 minutes on the pitch.

Joel Piroe's season in numbers

The Whites gem has made 33 appearances in the Championship for Swansea and Leeds combined during the 2023/24 campaign and offered a solid goalscoring threat.

In those 33 outings, the Dutchman has contributed with 11 goals and two assists – a return of one goal every three matches in the division on average.

However, his finishing has left a little to be desired at times as the ex-Swans ace has been provided with 11.69 xG worth of opportunities and has missed seven 'big chances'.

This shows that he has slightly underachieved in front of goal given the quality of chances that the likes of Rutter and Summerville have created for him.

The Whites reportedly splashed out a fee in excess of £10m to acquire his services from the Welsh side during last summer's transfer window.

Leeds appear to have had a mare as they already fumbled a possible Piroe upgrade in the form of Mujica, who has thrived since moving on from Elland Road.

Rafa Mujica's time with Leeds

Then-sporting director Victor Orta snapped the number nine up on a free transfer from Barcelona B in the summer of 2019 to link up with Carlos Corberan's U21 side.

However, the young gem never made an appearance for the academy in a competitive match as he went out on loan to Extremadura, Villarreal B, Real Oviedo, and Las Palmas.

Those loans were far from a roaring success for Mujica, though, as the centre-forward failed to score more than four goals for any of those sides during his temporary spells there.

Eventually, Orta opted to cash in on the former Barcelona talent as they sold him to Las Palmas for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2021, as he had not worked his way into Marcelo Bielsa's plans.

They seemingly decided that the young finisher did not have the potential to push on and develop into a first-team quality option for the Yorkshire-based side, but that has seemingly been proven to be a mistake in judgement.

Rafa Mujica's goalscoring quality

The 25-year-old dynamo spent a year with Las Palmas before securing a permanent transfer to Portuguese outfit Arouca ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He has thrived since his move to Portugal as the talented forward has finally found his feet at senior level and proven himself on a consistent basis.

The 6 foot 1 ace enjoyed a solid first season with Arouca as he plundered eight goals and created two 'big chances' for his teammates in 22 Liga Portugal starts.

This season, Mujica has been on fire for the Portuguese side and showcased his quality in the final third on a regular basis, with more league goals than Piroe.

The 25-year-old star has fired in 14 goals from an xG of 11.36 in Liga Portugal this term, which shows that he has been far more clinical in front of goal in comparison to the Leeds forward.

23/24 league season

Rafa Mujica

Joel Piroe

Appearances

23

33

Sofascore rating

7.20

6.99

Expected Goals

11.36

11.69

Goals

14

11

Assists

Two

Two

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Mujica, who has scored six goals in his last six games, has been more impressive as a goalscorer than Piroe this season, with more goals with less xG and fewer ten fewer appearances during the 2023/24 campaign.

The Arouca star, who has scored 17 goals in all competitions, is also only one year older than Piroe and still has time and room to develop and grow over the coming years, which means that he could get better with more experience and regular game time in Portugal.

Overall, Orta's decision to part ways with the young forward after just two years in England was a mare as the impressive Spaniard has since gone on to showcase his quality in the top-flight of Portuguese football.

Meanwhile, Leeds have splashed over £10m on a striker – Piroe – who has been outperformed by Mujica in the respective leagues in front of goal this season.

Therefore, the Whites had a howler with their decision to part ways with the Spanish gem, whose current form suggests that he could have developed into an excellent option for the club.