‘You won’t go up’ – Hasselbaink fires Leeds warning over ‘magnificent’ player
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has fired a warning to Leeds United, saying that they won’t get promoted if they have to rely on Patrick Bamford for goals.
Bamford is the only senior striker at the club after Eddie Nketiah was recalled to Arsenal in January.
Leeds are on the lookout for a new striker but haven’t made any real progress, with number one target Che Adams looking set to stay at Southampton.
Talking on the live Sky coverage of the game (Sky Sports Football, Sat, midday), Hasselbaink said, “They need to sign a striker. Bamford needs to improve a little bit. They need players who can handle the pressure. Hernandez has been injured for a while. If they can keep him fit it will be a big push for Leeds.”
Asked if Leeds would get promoted if they had to rely on Bamford for goals, Hasselbaink was unequivocal: “No, he doesn’t score enough. Don’t get me wrong, I like him, he’s magnificent, but if you’re going to only rely on Bamford you won’t go up. He doesn’t score 25-30 goals a season.”
Bamford adds a lot to the Leeds side, more than just goals. However, Leeds need a goal-scorer.
We’ve created a huge number of chances this season and are towards the bottom of the Championship in terms of shot conversion.
Leeds are on the hunt for a striker and we’re sure the club will get someone in before the window closes. Che Adams or Andre Gray would be good, but there are big doubts over whether Leeds can land a big name Premier League-level player.
The next week is going to be a huge one for Leeds.
In other Leeds United news, Leeds handed opportunity to complete major January striker deal – report