Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford’s future at Elland Road is up in the air at the moment, and there has been a key update regarding it.
Is Patrick Bamford going to leave Leeds?
There was a point when the 29-year-old was one of the first names on the team sheet at Elland Road, scoring 17 Premier League goals in the 2020/21 season. He was arguably one of the most in-form attacking players in the country, but he has dropped off significantly since then.
A string of injury problems have stunted Bamford’s growth, limiting him to only 18 starts out of 38 in the league last season, and he has increasingly felt like an expendable figure.
He is yet to make a competitive appearance in 2023/24, with Joel Piroe arriving as an exciting signing from Swansea City while Bamford has been out with another injury he sustained in pre season.
Now, a key update has emerged regarding Bamford’s future with the Whites – one that suggests that his time at Elland Road could come to an end sooner rather than later.
What’s the latest on Patrick Bamford’s Leeds future?
According to Football League Paper journalist Chris Dunlavy [via MOT Leeds News], Bamford could well leave Leeds in the January transfer window, with the 49ers Enterprises possibly open to the idea of selling him, highlighting his big £30,000-a-week wage.
“Now the club has a new striker in Joel Piroe, the question must be asked – does Bamford have a future at Elland Road? Piroe is the undisputed first choice. Not only did the Dutchman cost £10m from Swansea, he has scored 44 Championship goals in two seasons. That cannot be ignored.
“Georginio Rutter is also guaranteed to start when fit, if only to justify the eye-watering £30m fee that Leeds paid Hoffenheim in January. With Willy Gnonto also capable of playing up front, that leaves Bamford as – at best – third-choice. Can a man who played for England really stomach that?
“More to the point, Bamford signed a £70,000-a-week [contract] that does not expire until 2026. Financially, it makes very little sense to keep a £30,000-a-week substitute on your balance sheet, and it would be highly surprising if Leeds did not actively invite offers in January.”
In truth, it was almost a surprise that Bamford wasn’t sold during the summer transfer window, considering how much he has struggled to make an impact in recent times, both because of injuries and ineffective performances – scoring just four times last season.
Having the Englishman still in the squad certainly isn’t a bad thing, considering he possesses quality when he is on top of his game – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp once called him “exceptional” during his aforementioned run of good form a couple of years ago – but if a chance to sell him in January arises, Leeds could be wise to accept an offer for his services.
Bamford’s current Whites contract doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026, meaning they are still in a fairly strong bargaining position to demand good money for his signature, and it is unlikely that he will reach his former heights again, as his 30th birthday approaches later this year.
