Three dream Bamford upgrades Leeds could sign including 13-goal EFL star

Daniel Farke does not have long to wait until he can bolster his Leeds United squad by dipping into the market during the January transfer window.

The German tactician may want to improve his options in order to provide the Whites with a boost ahead of the second half of the Championship campaign.

Ipswich Town and Leicester City are currently ten and 13 points clear of Leeds, who are third in the table, respectively in the race to land automatic promotion.

Finding an upgrade on back-up centre-forward Patrick Bamford could be on the agenda for the Yorkshire-based side as the former England international has endured a poor start to the season.

The 30-year-old marksman has made 13 appearances in the Championship during the 2023/24 campaign and is yet to contribute with a single goal or assist.

He has failed to find the back of the net from 1.53 xG worth of chances, which includes the penalty the forward missed in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke, and has made 0.2 key passes per game.

These statistics show that the former Middlesbrough star has not been a useful option for Farke and has, therefore, not provided the likes of Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter with any competition for their place.

Leeds could now use the January transfer window to identify and sign another number nine and FFC have looked at three dream signings the club could make to land an upgrade on Bamford next month.

1
Ali Al-Hamadi

The South London Press reported in November that the Whites are keeping tabs on AFC Wimbledon centre-forward Ali Al-Hamadi as they eye up a possible swoop for his services.

It was claimed, at the time, that the League Two outfit are seeking a club-record fee, which means a figure in excess of £1.2m, for their star marksman.

The Iraq international, who was hailed as a “threat” in behind defences by manager Johnnie Jackson, has been in terrific form so far this season for the EFL outfit.

He has racked up an eye-catching ten goals, five assists, and five ‘big chances’ created in 19 League Two appearances, which has come off the back of ten goals and one assist in 15 starts at that level during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

Al-Hamadi has also contributed with two goals and one assist in two FA Cup outings for his club, which takes his tally to 13 goals and six assists in all competitions.

The 21-year-old EFL star has 19 goal involvements for Wimbledon and could have the potential to make the step up to Championship level as he has proven himself to be too good for his current environment.

Meanwhile, Bamford has zero goal involvements for Leeds this season and is now on the wrong side of 30, which means that there is not too much room left for him to improve, and this is why Al-Hamadi could come in as an upgrade on him.

2
Ben Brereton Diaz

Journalist Ben Jacobs recently claimed that Ben Brereton Diaz is ‘one to watch‘ for Leeds ahead of the January window as they are long-time admirers of the Chile international.

That came after TEAMtalk revealed that Villarreal are now prepared to sanction a temporary exit for the former Blackburn Rovers star next month.

Crystal Palace, Burnley, Leicester, Southampton, and West Brom were also named among the English teams keeping tabs on his situation.

The 24-year-old whiz has endured a tough time in Spain so far this season with zero goals and zero assists in two LaLiga starts and 13 appearances in total.

However, his struggles in a major European league should not detract from his success at Championship level for Blackburn over the last two seasons before the current campaign.

The right-footed ace, who can play through the middle as a striker or out wide, produced an exceptional 36 goals, seven assists, and 11 ‘big chances’ created in 80 league outings.

Brereton Diaz showcased his goalscoring and creative exploits throughout the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns for Blackburn before his free transfer to Villarreal over the summer.

Leeds could now offer him a chance to return to the EFL to dominate the second tier once again as their upgrade on Bamford, as he could provide Rutter and Piroe with real competition for their places whilst also being an option out wide when needed.

3
Joel Pohjanpalo

Tutto Mercato Web reported over the summer that Leeds, Norwich, Blackburn, and West Ham were all interested in Venezia centre-forward Joel Pohjanpalo.

It was also claimed that the Finland international has a release clause in his current contract worth around €4m (£3.5m) and that means that the Whites could activate that in January to secure his services if they decide to reignite their interest in him.

The 29-year-old marksman is the most experienced option on this list, as he is five years older than Brereton Diaz and eight years older than Al-Hamadi, and could come in to hit the ground running during the second half of the season.

He has been in fine form for Venezia in the Serie B since the start of last season and could offer a greater goalscoring threat than the underperforming Bamford.

Pohjanpalo plundered 19 goals and seven assists in 37 league matches for the Italian side throughout the 2022/23 campaign, which worked out as a goal or an assist every 1.42 outings on average.

He has followed that up with four goals and three assists in 13 Serie B appearances during the current season, which is a return of one goal involvement every 1.86 clashes on average.

His form has dipped slightly this term but is still far more impressive than what Bamford has managed in recent seasons. The English forward has four goals and two assists in 41 league matches since the start of last season.

Therefore, Pohjanpalo could be an upgrade on the former Chelsea prospect due to his impressive goalscoring record for Venezia, which could provide Leeds with a boost at the top end of the pitch as they aim to win promotion back to the top-flight.