By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
Joel Piroe probably wasn’t the striker most West Ham supporters expected the club to sign this summer, and he certainly wasn’t my first choice. But having taken a closer look at the 27-year-old former Swansea City striker, I can understand the logic behind the deal.
So what exactly are West Ham getting? Here are five things that stood out to me.
1. Piroe is a proven Championship goalscorer
This is ultimately why West Ham have signed him. Piroe has demonstrated over several seasons that he can score goals at this level, and that’s precisely what the Hammers require following relegation.
This isn’t a speculative signing where we’re waiting to discover whether somebody can adapt to English football. Piroe knows the Championship and has already shown he can deliver in it.
2. He’s a canny penalty-box operator
Piroe is very left-foot dominant, although he is capable of finishing with his right, and his game appears much more about positioning and finishing than explosive athleticism.
He’s not somebody I’d expect to manufacture endless chances for himself. West Ham will need to provide the ammunition, but get the ball to him in dangerous areas and there’s every reason to believe he’ll score.
3. Pace is the obvious concern
This is the part that worries me.
Piroe is quicker than Pablo, but he isn’t fast.
I’ve written before about why West Ham desperately need more pace in their attack, and signing Piroe doesn’t really address that problem.
Nuno Espírito Santo demonstrated with Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest that he can successfully use a striker without blistering pace, but Forest surrounded Wood with quick players.
West Ham don’t currently have enough of them.
Solomon and Piroe played together at Leeds
4. His relationship with Manor Solomon could help
One potentially important advantage is that Piroe has already played alongside new Hammers winger Manor Solomon at Leeds United.
West Ham desperately need to improve the supply into their striker, and Solomon’s pace and creativity should help.
If Arne Engels hits the ground running, suddenly the service into Piroe could look considerably better.
| Season & Club | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 — Swansea | 22 | 4 |
| 2022/23 — Swansea | 19 | 2 |
| 2023/24 — Leeds | 14 | 2 |
| 2024/25 — Leeds | 19 | 6 |
| Four-season total | 74 | 14 |
5. The financial gamble appears relatively small
Piroe wasn’t West Ham’s first-choice striker target and there’s little point pretending otherwise. The penny pinching in the move for Troy Parrott seems to have cost us but there’s little point dwelling.
However, based on the figures being reported, this looks like a relatively inexpensive gamble on somebody with a strong Championship goalscoring pedigree.
West Ham have explored numerous striking options this summer, including Franculino Djú, but ultimately Piroe offers something particularly valuable: a track record of scoring goals in the division we’re actually playing in.
Ultimately, Piroe’s success will be judged very simply: goals and promotion.
I still hope West Ham sign another striker, preferably somebody with genuine pace. But if Piroe gets the service he needs and scores the goals that help fire the Hammers back into the Premier League, nobody will particularly care that he wasn’t Plan A. And if I’m honest, I wasn’t particularly blown away with the prospect of Parrott anyway.
Nuno needs to take note and play a system that suits players not one that’s in his head.
No tinkering get it sorted and stick to it.
Another two prospects have surfaced Cozier-Duberry (has pace) & Imran Louza (Watford captain).
Koppen needs to finger print them along with Daniel Job sooner rather than later.
Less outgoings and more incomings.
Nuno needs to take note and play a system that suits players not one that’s in his head.
No tinkering get it sorted and stick to it.
Another two prospects have surfaced Cozier-Duberry (has pace) & Imran Louza (Watford captain).
Koppen needs to finger print them along with Daniel Job sooner rather than later.
Less outgoings and more incomings.
Saw this on Leedsallover.com and seems to sum what I think about this signing. The article,is called ‘West Ham make costly mistake as Joel Piroe move confirmed’
It’s been funny to see the West Ham fans post all the compilations of Piroe scoring goals for us all over social media and getting excited. As Leeds fans, we know the truth. Unless Piroe scored, in 99% of the games he played for us, he didn’t contribute at all.He doesn’t possess the physical attributes to lead the line effectively, even at Championship level. He’s slow and cannot really press, but he is an extremely gifted finisher.
I believe that Piroe will score anywhere north of 15 goals in the Championship for West Ham this season. But it will only be a matter of time before West Ham fans get frustrated about what the striker fails to bring to the table.
In all likelihood, West Ham will go up. But the second they do, they will need to fork out another £8million for Piroe. This is whilst also searching for his replacement. If they go back into the Premier League with him as their first-choice striker, it will be a recipe for disaster.
Also as Gonzo points out Manor Solomon is a key link to Piroe having some success, but you have to wonder whether the Solomon we saw play against Burnley was a one-off as he clearly hadn’t read Nervous Nuno’s script and stood out like a sore thumb compared to others, having the audacity to show both creativity and attacking intent. I’m sure within a few games he master the low block negative & defensive style Nervous Nuno will demand of him
Should be decent at Championship level but the biggest thing we need to know is that we won’t have to buy him unless we get promoted. Parrott would have been one for the future but paying £17m up front was beyond us. Will we ever find a billionaire we can rely on?
Piroe success will depend on the team creating chances for him like Leeds did in the championship, that means playing on the front foot and not sitting back like we tend to do.