Patrick Bamford January exit needed as unreliable Leeds United striker cannot be trusted by Daniel Farke
A January exit must be on the cards for Leeds United forward Patrick Bamford, as his injury woes make him unreliable for Daniel Farke.
As quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post (15 September), Farke provided a less-than-reassuring injury update on the Englishman, stating: “Bamford is still out and he will also miss the three games within six games, but we are quite hopeful he will return back to the team training quite soon. Hopefully, even at the end of next week or perhaps the week after.”
Having not been in the Leeds United squad all season, off the back of an injury-laden campaign and a pre-season knock, a January exit must now be on the cards for the 30-year-old.
It must not be forgotten that Bamford has been a prolific asset to Leeds during his tenure. His 16-goal haul in their promotion season in 2019/20 did a lot to get them to the Premier League, and his 17-goal haul the following season did a lot to keep them there.
Since then, however, Bamford has not managed more than four league goals in a season amid his recurring injury woes. As per Transfermarkt, Bamford has been sidelined for over 300 days since the start of the 2021/22 season – a less than encouraging statistic.
The new ownership group took quick notice of Bamford’s unreliability and signed a direct replacement, Joel Piroe, for their promotion-pushing debut season.
The Dutchman has shown good early signs and has already got off the mark with a debut goal against Ipswich and is expected to kick on further at his new club after netting 20 in all competitions for Swansea last season.
Even if Bamford does return to full fitness and is available to Farke, he is unlikely to displace Piroe, Leeds’ most expensive summer signing at a reported £10.5million (The Athletic, 25 August).
The Leeds hierarchy may have already made a decision on the former England international’s future, with the Football League Paper reporter Chris Dunlavy claiming (3 September) that Leeds would be willing to listen to offers for Bamford.
Dunlavy’s report claims Bamford earns £30,000 a week at Elland Road, so a decent fee and wage bill reduction could go a long way in helping the club’s finances
That being said, Leeds may benefit from letting Bamford go out on loan. Regular minutes at a lower-end Championship side could provide Bamford the platform to rebuild his confidence and recapture his form.
Promotion back to the Premier League is the priority this season and all the eggs are in that basket, but if they do not achieve this aim, having a fit and ready Bamford back in the Championship could prove significant.
For all parties, a January departure seems to make the most sense. For now, Bamford will hope to get as many minutes as possible.
In other Leeds United news, a pundit has predicted a Whites star to soon play for a Champions League side.