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Middlesbrough are keen on signing an “unbelievable” new forward this summer, and Leeds United are now willing to sanction a sale.
Mendieta backs Boro to come back stronger after play-off final defeat
Boro’s play-off final was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the Spygate scandal, which saw Southampton banned from taking part, and Kim Hellberg’s side ultimately came up short, with Hull City winning 1-0 courtesy of a last-gasp Oli McBurnie winner.
Having missed out on promotion to the Premier League, it could be difficult to keep hold of talisman Hayden Hackney, who has just one year remaining on his contract, with the midfielder starting to attract plenty of interest from the top flight.
However, Gaizka Mendieta has backed his former club to rebuild and have a successful 2026-27 campaign, should Hackney decide to move on.
“If Hayden Hackney leaves it’s sad, but that’s football.
“When you get promoted, you manage to attract big players and keep your best players because they want to play in the Premier League, but if you don’t get promoted, players who did very well will be looking at Premier League clubs that I’m sure are knocking on their door.
“That’s one of the downsides for the club, you might lose players who performed well last year, and you have to rebuild and start over again. But Boro can do that and come back stronger.”
The Teessiders are demanding £25m for the 23-year-old, and should a deal go through, they may look to invest the money into other areas of the squad, with a Leeds player now emerging as target.
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Leeds prepared to sell “unbelievable” player with Middlesbrough keen
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Middlesbrough are now in contention to sign Joel Piroe, with Daniel Farke’s side prepared to offload the striker this summer, given that he only played a bit-part role last season.
Leeds are expected to demand around £8m – £10m for the centre-forward, who rakes in £40k-a-week at Elland Road, with Rangers also keen, as manager Danny Rohl is regarded as a big fan.
Piroe wants to move to a club where regular game time is more of a guarantee, and he has proven himself in the second tier previously, across spells with Leeds and Swansea City.
Joel Piroe’s Championship statistics
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179 matches
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73 goals
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18 assists
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Won promotion with Leeds in 2024-25
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Golden Boot winner in 2024-2025
Farke has also waxed lyrical about the Suriname international’s proficiency in front of goal, saying: “It’s not about individual statistics but Joel definitely deserves more praise. He is an unbelievable finisher for us. For me, he is the best finisher in this league and, when it comes to finishing, there is not one player better than him.”
After missing out on promotion in such cruel fashion, Piroe may be able to fire Middlesbrough to the Premier League next season.
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