Leeds United must delay Patrick Bamford decision after latest Elland Road injury update
The season may have only just got up and running at Elland Road, but Leeds United have some big decisions to make before it comes to an end.
Daniel Farke’s side will have some big contract calls to make in the coming weeks and months, the most pressing of which being whether or not to hand Junior Firpo and Sam Byram extensions.
Both fullbacks’ current deals expire at the end of the season and while any final decision will likely be made once Leeds know what division they will be playing in, extension talks are yet to begin [Leeds Live, 20 September].
Another man whose future could well hang in the balance is Patrick Bamford. The striker’s deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026, but his future has once again been brought into focus.
Reports suggest that extending the striker’s deal is a priority for Leeds in the future, with Bamford believed to be loyal to the Whites and in no rush to depart at Elland Road [Ben Jacobs, 6 September].
However, recent developments at Elland Road could well have pushed Farke and his team to make a new decision around the forward’s future in the lead-up to the January transfer window.
What has happened to Patrick Bamford at Leeds United and Elland Road?
Although the forward is expected to be fit for the clash between Leeds United and Coventry City on Saturday (28 September), Farke confirmed that the former England international missed some training sessions this week [Adam Pope, 26 September].
Of course, the most important thing for supporters is that Bamford is available when the matches roll around, but it is slightly worrying that he appears to have suffered yet another setback at Elland Road.
He may not have played much this term, but the striker is one of only a couple of senior striking options in Farke’s squad and simply cannot be relied upon to play each and every week.
When he is fit and available, his record in front of goal can also be streaky. While he couldn’t stop scoring in the second half of last season, he couldn’t hit a barn door in the first few months of Farke’s tenure.
Leeds simply have to delay any decision over a new contract for the forward. Handing him an extension based on his ineffective and injury-hit start to the season would be an unnecessary risk to take.
If he proves himself over the coming months, it could well be one to revisit in the second half of the campaign.
In other Leeds United news, Chris Sutton has clashed with one Whites supporter over a new Farke verdict at Elland Road
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