Leeds United must sanction Patrick Bamford sale and move for long-term target in January
Leeds United are flying in the Championship right now but not everyone is enjoying life at Elland Road.
After being relegated from the Premier League last season, many would have expected Patrick Bamford to be a leading light in their bid to secure an immediate return to the top flight.
Well, sadly, that just has not been the case. Bamford has 11 Championship appearances to his name this term, all off the substitutes’ bench, and has yet to find the back of the net.
Bamford has had well-documented issues with injuries and form and, truthfully, a move away from Elland Road is now the best solution for all parties – both player and club.
And a fresh link to a long-term target means that a January exit should be even more inevitable.
On Sunday, (3 December) journalist Ben Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT that there is a possibility of Leeds moving for Ben Brereton Diaz, who has struggled for form since leaving Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer to join Villarreal in the summer.
Last month, teamTALK wrote that Villarreal would be willing to sanction a January loan move for Brereton Diaz. Explaining Leeds’ position, Jacobs said: “One name to watch with Leeds, which I didn’t think I would be talking about in 2024 but could still be possible, is Ben Brereton Diaz.
“He is a long-standing Leeds target but, obviously, moved to Villarreal at the beginning of this season from Blackburn.
“It’s not entirely worked out at Villarreal so far, and he hasn’t scored for them despite coming off the back of 16 goals in all competitions for Blackburn and over 20 in the previous season.
“It’s been a difficult spell for him. Mid-season, by all accounts, he wants to stick it out. But, obviously, if we get to the end of the season and it’s still not working, there might be an opportunity there.”
Brereton Diaz is yet to score in LaLiga for Villarreal having made 11 appearances, two as a starter, but he did score 47 times in 177 outings for Rovers.
Moreover, at 24 he is six years younger than Bamford, while he is also able to operate both as a striker and as a wide forward, the sort of versatility that can be invaluable in the Championship.
Leeds’ main four attackers of Georginio Rutter, Joel Piroe, Crysencio Summerville, and Daniel James are all flourishing under Daniel Farke, but the supporting cast – such as Bamford and Wilfried Gnonto – are not contributing enough.
It’s time to rubber-stamp Bamford’s exit and bring in Brereton Diaz to bring in some top-quality competition ahead of what will hopefully be a push for promotion in the new year.
In other Leeds United news, Graham Smyth has mooted a permanent transfer for Joe Rodon.