West Ham United are reportedly closing in on the signing of Leeds United striker Joel Piroe and seemingly pulled the plug on a deal for Troy Parrott.
A new center-forward is a priority for Nuno Espírito Santo, and Parrott has been a top target. The club failed with an opening bid for the AZ Alkmaar frontman but were said to be ‘confident’ as they prepared to make a second offer for the Irishman.
In a shock twist, the East London outfit may have pivoted as they are now advancing in talks for Piroe. It seems unlikely that two new forwards will arrive before the transfer window closes, given that Santo already has Valentin Castellanos leading the line.
West Ham Turn To Piroe as Parrott Deal Stalls
West Ham have turned to Leeds United’s Joel Piroe to add more firepower to Santo’s frontline and Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof reports that a deal is in its final stages. The Surinamese striker has fallen down Daniel Farke’s pecking order and has been expected to leave Elland Road this summer.
“A transfer of Joël Piroe to West Ham United is in the final stages. The striker is still at Leeds United’s training complex today, but hopes to move to London soon. It is unclear whether this has consequences for Troy Parrott.”
Piroe could be on his way back to the EFL Championship, having previously played in the second tier of English football with Leeds and Swansea City. He enjoyed his time in the division, scoring 73 goals in 179 games for the Peacocks and the Swans.
Following Leeds’ promotion and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s arrival, the 27-year-old has lacked regular game time, starting just two of 16 Premier League games last season. He will be eager to get back to playing football and could rival Castellanos for a starting berth in Santo’s attack.
West Ham reportedly offered £15 million for Piroe but were told the fee to sign the player is £20 million. This is said to have left the Hammers feeling ‘short-changed’ as the asking price had previously been set at £16m.
Sky Sports, meanwhile, claims that the Irons are keen on a loan deal with an obligation to buy, but the Whites prefer a permanent sale. They could be satisfied with the loan proposal, given that they will then sell Piroe next summer.
Piroe has two years left on his contract, having joined Leeds from Swansea back in the summer of 2023 for just over £10m. While Farke rarely turned to him last season, he spoke glowingly back in October:
“For me, he’s the best finisher I’ve ever worked with and there’s been some good finishers. If you want to have a player with the ball in front of his feet 20 yards out, then I would always go for Joel Piroe because he’s an unbelievable finisher and in these terms, really world class.”
Joel Piroe (Championship 2024-25)
Appearances
46
Starts
36
Sub On
10
Minutes Played
3,093′
Goals
19
Assists
7
Total Goal Contributions (G+A)
26
Penalties Scored
1
Yellow Cards
2
Red Cards
0
If Piroe does arrive at the London Stadium, he’ll become the club’s fifth summer signing. Santo’s squad has been strengthened with the arrivals of Arne Engels, Manor Solomon, Beaver Lamadrid and Joel Veltman.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
West Ham Making Wise Decision
West Ham seemed eager to sign Parrott but AZ’s asking price may well have put them off. The Irish striker was in terrific form last season, finding the back of the net 31 times in 48 games across competitions.
Piroe looks to be the Hammers’ alternative, and there’s certainly a lot to like about the six-foot-one-inch, especially his Championship experience. While he didn’t quite get the opportunity to prove his worth in the Premier League, he could prove to be an excellent addition to Santo’s squad.
With Castellanos staying put, spending heavily on Parrott may have been the wrong move. A loan with an obligation to buy for Piroe helps financially and allows Santo to choose between Castellanos and Piroe to lead the line, or even play both as a front two.
Rodri is set for Barcelona after Manchester City agreed a €76.5m deal in principle, and City are already working on their midfield rebuild.
Ben Jacobs breaks down Manchester City’s advanced talks for Ayyoub Bouaddi and explains why a fresh move for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez remains possible following Rodri’s departure.
There are also major updates across the transfer market, including Aston Villa’s move for Zion Suzuki, Juventus choosing Guglielmo Vicario over Emi Martinez, Liverpool’s ongoing Bradley Barcola situation and Al-Hilal’s interest in Chelsea winger Pedro Neto.
Plus, the latest on West Ham, Sunderland and Ipswich as Premier League clubs accelerate their business ahead of the new season.
Manchester United have no interest in allowing Bruno Fernandes to leave the club this summer despite interest from Galatasaray, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.
Fernandes’ future has been in the spotlight throughout the summer, with the Red Devils’ midfielder having a year left on his contract. He previously turned down a mouth-watering £65 million contract proposal to join Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal last summer.
The 31-year-old later insisted that he wanted to stay at United because of the difficult situation they found themselves in. His team finished 15th in the previous campaign, and he told Wayne Rooney that he didn’t want to jump ship during a crisis.
Last season, the Old Trafford outfit bounced back and sealed Champions League qualification after finishing third. INEOS handed Michael Carrick the managerial job full-time and these factors were thought to have led to Fernandes staying put and even signing a new contract.
Galatasaray Ready Offer For Man Utd’s Fernandes
via Reuters
GIVEMESPORT sources understand that Galatasaray are ready to test the waters with an offer of £42.8 million including add-ons for Fernandes. The Turkish giants are prepared to offer the Portugal international a lucrative four-year contract.
Fernandes has not indicated to United he wants to leave to date, and the club are not looking to engage with any club over a sale. Their stance is that he is not available for any price with just days until the new campaign begins.
The Portugal international remains Carrick’s most important player heading into his first season as permanent head coach. A release clause in his current contract, worth £55.6m, expired in July, meaning interested clubs must now make offers for the player.
Man Utd transfer targets
Given that Fernandes turned down a more lucrative offer from Al-Hilal last year, it might not be a hugely concerning situation for the Red Devils. He has the chance to captain Carrick’s team in a new Premier League era, which is perhaps the most open it has been since the now-departed Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City back in 2016.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
INEOS Need To Get Fernandes Future Sorted
Galatasaray’s interest in Fernandes is a wake-up call for United to sort out their skipper’s contract. While his current deal does include the option of a further year, heading into a season with his future still the subject of speculation is something INEOS should look to avoid.
Perhaps the higher-ups are prepared to part ways next summer but it doesn’t make much sense given he’s just enjoyed the best season of any post-Sir Alex Ferguson player. His record-breaking assist numbers prove he is the one whom they should be looking to build the team around.
Carrick made his feelings clear during pre-season when asked about Fernandes’ future (via BBC Sport):
“Every good team has players that have made a major impact. That’s how it is. Bruno has had that for a period of time here. We want to keep pushing and want to get the best out of Bruno and the team around him… As much as the performances, it’s how he has been around the group, how he leads and takes time to help others, especially the younger players. That comes into play.”
Bruno Fernandes (Premier League 2025-26)
Total
Appearances (Starts)
35 (35)
Goals
9
Assists
21
Goal Involvements (G+A)
30
Penalty Goals
4
Shots (On Target)
85 (24)
Touches
2,689
Pass Accuracy
82%
Corners Taken
90
Discipline
5 Yellows, 0 Reds
United are in a strong negotiating position but so far there has been no agreement over an extension for Fernandes. He’s been with the club since January 2020, arriving from Sporting CP in a £68m deal.
The Red Devils’ legendary striker is trying to forge a path as a top manager, most recently managing Leicester City in 2025. Sadly for the Dutchman, he couldn’t prevent the Foxes from relegation and he’s since been out of a job.
It’s been a big few years for the Van Nistelrooy household as Ruud had spells in charge of Man Utd and Leicester, before his son was handed a first-ever professional contract by Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven. There has been little fanfare surrounding the offspring of one of the Premier League’s greatest strikers as he used his mother’s surname, ‘Slaats’, for the majority of his youth career.
Van Nistelrooy’s Son’s Name Inspired by Man Utd Teammate
Alan Smith, Alex Ferguson and Liam Miller
During a conversation with Gary Neville on The Overlap three years ago, Van Nistelrooy was asked where the name Liam came from. A typically British and Irish name, it was an unusual choice for a Dutch family to select for their child.
The retired striker was quick to point out that he had been inspired by a former teammate at Old Trafford, Liam Miller. The Ireland-born midfielder was signed from Celtic in 2004 and clearly left a big impression on some members of the dressing room. Van Nistelrooy told Neville:
“We played with Liam at United. Liam Miller. I remember that name and I liked the name.”
Miller would only make 22 appearances for the Red Devils in two years before embarking on a journeyman career in England, Scotland and Australia. Tragically, the ex-United man passed away in 2018 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
After the devastating news of Miller’s passing, a match was played between Celtic and Manchester United, with the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs playing a part. Liam van Nistelrooy will now look to make a mark on PSV, whom his father represented for three years before moving to Old Trafford.
Liam Van Nistelrooy Goes Viral After Scoring For PSV
Ruud watched on with a beaming smile on his face as Liam, 18, scored an impressive goal for PSV’s Under-19 side to send them into the Otten Innovation Cup final.
Released with a long ball, Van Nistelrooy broke free and couldn’t be caught before delicately chipping the ball over the goalkeeper. The ice-cold finish wasn’t the only thing that mirrored his father, as many commented on the striking resemblance between the two strikers.
Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 17-08-26.
