When Leeds United were in the midst of a three-horse race for automatic promotion this time last year, the Premier League-seeking side might have allowed themselves to dream, even for a brief moment, about the gifts that promotion could bring.
Twelve months on, with Leeds in the market for a striker once again, their options appeared limited to Championship-proven additions such as Southampton duo Cameron Archer and Adam Armstrong.
And while there remains a lingering sense of frustration at Elland Road as Leeds failed to secure a deal for either Archer or Armstrong, should Premier League football return to West Yorkshire at last in 2025/26, then Daniel Farke will have the luxury of shopping in Waitrose rather than, well, a less upmarket destination.
Promotion, and the financial benefits that brings, will open up Leeds United to a far greater pool of centre-forwards.
Perhaps that was the thinking back in March 2024, when Leeds reportedly added Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez to their radar.
Feyenoord’s Mexican forward #29 Santiago Gimenez celebrates after scoring Feyenoord’s second goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions L…
Santiago Gimenez joins AC Milan one year after Leeds United links
At the time, the Yorkshire giants would have been drawing up two very different shopping lists. An array of targets for the Premier League, and some for the Championship.
Gimenez, due to the massive price tag slapped on his head by the then Eredivisie champions, would obviously have fallen into the former category.
Feyenoord were always going to sell their Mexican marksman for big money. The kind of money Leeds would only have access too if they were a top-flight side.
Take, for instance, the fee AC Milan have paid to secure Gimenez’s services 10 months after those Elland Road links emerged. The Argentina-born 23-year-old finally bids farewell to De Kuip after months of speculation and incessant links with countless teams across the continent.
But when Milan made their interest known, paying £26.5 million for their trouble, there was only one club the boyhood Rossoneri fanatic had his heart set on.
“When I was a kid, I loved Milan,” an overjoyed Gimenez said during his official unveiling at San Siro on deadline day, exiting Feyenoord after scoring 16 goals in just 19 games this season. “It was my dream. And, when I received the call from the Rossoneri, I said; “Wow”.
“Years ago, I spoke to [club legend and 2007 Ballon D’Or winner] Kaka. He encouraged me. Milan was in my destiny.”
Leeds need Joel Piroe to keep his form after strikerless deadlone day
Leeds will be hoping their ‘destiny’, meanwhile, lies in the Premier League.
And while the absence of a fresh centre-forward has the more pessimistic supporters concerned about Burnley and Sheffield United closing the gap at the top – Leeds have found themselves in a strong position before and saw promotion slip through their grasp – goalscoring certainly didn’t seem to be an issue when Farke’s side obliterated Cardiff City 7-0 on Saturday.
Leeds’ biggest home win in 53 years, and a timely return to form for Joel Piroe during what was the Dutchman’s most complete performance on the Elland Road turf.
“He’s the best finisher at this football club Joel Piroe, and he proved it,” former Leeds striker Michael Bridges smiled following the most one-sided victory of the campaign. “He makes that penalty look easy.
“He hasn’t got the running power and the pace to be the man who is going to be the ball over the top. What I liked about his performance [against Cardiff], and I admire so much as a striker, is the way that he has understood his role and his responsibility.
“‘I’ll drop in, I’ll make it tough for the defenders to go and mark us. If somebody does, it’s going to [create] a gap’.”
