Leeds to get rid of Bamford once and for all in January after £30k-a-week reveal
Patrick Bamford is in his seventh season as a Leeds United player – and it’s fair to say the striker has overstayed his welcome in West Yorkshire.
It’s been three full seasons since the 31-year-old was in any kind of good form and even with that one great campaign in the Premier League in 2020/21, it’s hard to see how he’s lasted so long at Elland Road.
Bamford has scored more than 10 league goals in a season for Leeds on just two occasions. In the last four seasons combined, he’s netted just 14 times.
This season has seen the former Middlesbrough striker play seven times in all competitions without scoring a goal with his Championship game-time amounting to just 56 minutes spread across six outings as a substitute.
What are Patrick Bamford’s wages at Leeds United?
It’s clear that Bamford isn’t in Daniel Farke’s first-team plans. If anything, his inclusion in matchday squads seems like a way to justify the striker’s actual existence as a Leeds United player due to his eyewatering £30,000-a-week wages [Football League Paper].
Farke has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal in the Championship.
Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph are natural centre-forwards while Largie Ramazani, Willy Gnonto and Daniel James can play there, as well as Joe Gelhardt.
While some of them do better in other positions, all of them would be a better shout to start up front than Bamford, who has regularly underperformed when it comes to sticking the ball in the back of the net.
According to stats by FBRef, Bamford has never had a season where he’s outperformed his xG – he has continually underperformed.
Last season, he scored eight times in the Championship but xG stats show that he should have scored 9.5 goals.
In 2022/23, as Leeds were relegated, the one-time England international scored four goals but had an xG of 8.5 and even in his best season when he scored 17 goals in the Premier League, his xG was 18.2.
His worst was easily in the season Marcelo Bielsa led the Whites to the Premier League. Bamford scored 16 times in the Championship but still endured the wrath of fans because his xG was a staggering 27.
No one has underperformed as badly as Bamford has at Leeds in living memory.
Those who have failed to reach expectations have been moved on swiftly – not given seven years and contracts worth £30,000 each week.
The January transfer window is upon us and it’s time for Farke to do Parag Marathe a favour and get rid of Bamford once and for all.
There’s no doubt that the Leeds chairman hates the fact so much money is being paid to Bamford despite him making absolutely no impact in the side.
In other Leeds United news, Leeds’ January transfer plans might be binned after an injury to a star player.
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