Rangers have been monitoring Joel Piroe since January, with Danny Rohl a keen admirer of the Leeds United forward.
The 26-year-old has emerged as one of the more intriguing names available this summer, with Leeds open to selling him after he struggled to nail down regular Premier League minutes following the club’s promotion last season.
Rangers’ interest is genuine and longstanding, and the shared ownership links between the two clubs under the 49ers Enterprises have only served to facilitate a closer monitoring of Piroe’s situation at Elland Road.
Which area should Rangers prioritise on strengthening this summer? 🤔
Andrew Cavenagh has made some bold promises!
Rohl admires £8m-rated Piroe
According to TEAMtalk, Rangers have been strongly linked with Piroe, and Rohl views him as a potential solution to their attacking needs.
However, the arrivals of Lawrence Shankland and Ryan Naderi this year, combined with the club’s determination to keep Youssef Chermiti, mean a guaranteed starting spot at Ibrox cannot be offered.
For a player who needs regular football to rediscover the form that made him one of the Championship’s most prolific strikers, that situation is far from ideal, and it has effectively put any move on ice for now.
Leeds have set an asking price of between £8million and £10million for a forward who has netted 85 goals in 248 senior appearances – a fee that reflects his proven Championship pedigree while acknowledging his limited top-flight impact.
Middlesbrough also hold long-standing interest and remain in the picture, while Birmingham City, Stoke City and PSV Eindhoven have been credited with varying levels of interest as well.
Which of these strikers are Rangers expected to sell?
Lawrence Shankland's arrival will surely change things!
What it means for Rangers
The Piroe situation illustrates the kind of recruitment dilemma Rangers face this summer – a quality player available at a decent rate, but one whose profile overlaps with assets already at the club.
With Shankland, Chermiti and Naderi already in the attacking picture, adding another striker of Piroe’s profile would be a luxury the Andrew Cavenagh-run club cannot currently justify.
Therefore, unless the Gers sell Chermiti amid interest from Galatasaray, Porto and PSV or offload Bojan Miovski, a move for Piroe is likely to be put on the back burner.
