Highlights
- Leeds have had a challenging transfer window and a slow start to the Championship season, with several players leaving and new signings needed.
- The Whites have proposed a deal for a winger who could be a perfect partner for Joel Piroe, though another Championship club is interested.
Leeds United’s euphoric return to the Premier League slowly deteriorated after that emphatic first season, with the Whites now in the second tier after three campaigns in the big time.
Having churned through managers last term, promotion specialist Daniel Farke has been appointed to orchestrate a swift journey back to the top flight, but Leeds have endured a testing transfer window and a slow start to the Championship season.
Several first-team stars have headed for the exit door, and while Ethan Ampadu, Karl Darlow and Joel Piroe have all been signed, the club are still pushing for further acquisitions before the transfer window closes next week.
What’s the latest on Joseph Paintsil to Leeds?
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Leeds have recently proposed a deal to Belgian outfit Genk for winger Joseph Paintsil, offering €10m (£9m) plus a sell-on clause.
Southampton are also interested, though the player’s preference is believed to be the Elland Road club.
However, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has claimed that Farke’s side are considering withdrawing their offer after Genk rejected the Whites’ approach.
Who is Joseph Paintsil?
The £9k-per-week winger has impressed in the Belgian Pro League over the past several seasons, having remarkably posted 18 goals and assists apiece across all competitions last term, after previously earning praise for being part of a “superb” title-winning Genk team in 2018/19 by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old plundered 17 strikes and assisted a further 11 as Genk topped the 2022/23 regular season table, complementing his direct output with 1.4 key passes per game and creating 12 big chances.
The nine-cap Ghana star has an eye for goal himself, but also appears to be a trustworthy and consistent creative force, and as such, he could be the perfect partner for Piroe if he transfers his qualities from Belgium to Yorkshire.
Piroe was signed for Leeds from divisional rivals Swansea City this week, completing a transfer in excess of £10m, and appears to be a most auspicious signing after demonstrating his destructive qualities across two campaigns in the Championship, scoring 23 goals in the 2021/22 term before landing 20 last year.
He even got off the mark as Leeds earned their first win of the campaign at Ipswich Town this weekend.
As per FBref, the Dutch talisman also ranks among the top 4% of strikers playing at a similar level for pass completion and the top 16% for interceptions per 90.
This could ensure he fits right into Farke’s system at Elland Road, with the German manager striving for possession-based football speckled with intelligent combinations and an emphasis on driving the ball into dangerous areas.
By utilising his ball-playing skills and getting stuck in defensively, Piroe could influence the play from a multitude of angles, all the while maintaining a cutting edge in front of goal.
And by maintaining this level of crispness with his all-encompassing approach, Paintsil would have a licence to thrive and drive at goal from the right flank, attacking incisively and indeed flourishing as a creative outlet.
Leeds could bring the Ghana international in at a time when the club needs some newfound panache to truly kickstart their campaign, and with Piroe’s signature already tied up, Farke’s squad is starting to take shape.