Joel Piroe revealed that he had other options before he joined West Ham, including a move to Ajax. The striker and his representatives held talks with Sporting Director Jordi Cruyff. Piroe said that Jordi had already contacted them and that Ajax was a serious candidate for him in that regard.

Joël Piroe's agent, Theo Roebbers, stated that there was significant interest in the 27-year-old Dutch-Surinamese centre-forward all summer, explaining that he had spoken with Jordi Cruijff about Ajax, but the club considered it no longer an option after hearing the asking price. Roebbers added that this also applied to other clubs like Strasbourg in France, Alavés in Spain, and Anderlecht, all of whom withdrew their interest because the asking price was not consistent with market rates. The agent also expressed frustration with Leeds for suddenly deviating from the initial valuation. In August 2026, Leeds' asking price was reported as €18.7 million, while reports from May 2026 claimed the club was prepared to sell for between £8 million and £10 million. Piroe joined Leeds in August 2023, has a contract until 2027, and has one cap for Suriname. His current Transfermarkt market value is €10.00m.