Patrick Bamford exit edges closer with Leeds United ‘green light’ approval within days, offers submitted
Patrick Bamford is being increasingly linked with a move away from Leeds United this summer.
The Daily Mail reported on Friday (23 June) that Bamford, 29, is one of a number of high-profile players who Leeds fans may expect to see leave Elland Road in the coming weeks and months.
Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Wilfried Gnonto, Luis Sinisterra and Illan Meslier could all find themselves included in an Elland Road firesale alongside Bamford.
You could make a case for all of those players staying at Leeds – except for Bamford.
The one-time England international has had a fairly miserable time as a Leeds United player when you consider every season he’s played in.
In the Championship for Leeds, he scored just 26 goals in 68 games. When you consider how free-scoring Leeds were in those two seasons with Marcelo Bielsa as they finished in the play-offs and then as Champions, that record is poor.
Bamford took everyone by surprise in Leeds’ first season back in the Premier League as he scored 17 goals and supplied eight assist in 38 appearances.
But what’s just as surprising about that record is that he managed to play every single game because since that season ended, the striker has played just 37 times in the Premier League over two years.
In that time, he’s scored just six goals – which is probably the same number of major injuries he’s had too.
According to UnderStat, last season he produced an xG of 9.77 but actually scored just four goals.
He couldn’t hit a barndoor with a banjo and that inability to hit the back of the net played a major role, unfortunately, in Leeds’ relegation.
He needs to go, it’s as simple as that.
It now looks as though we could be reaching the end of Bamford’s stay as a Leeds United player.
It’s been pretty obvious that Leeds’ failure to dip their toes into the transfer market so far this summer has been down to the takeover situation because 49ers Enterprises still haven’t formalised the process to buy Andrea Radrizzani out of Elland Road for good.
But on Friday morning, The Athletic journalist Phil Hay reported that he expects a “green light” for the takeover to be completed in the next week.
Once that’s sorted, the ball can get rolling and Leeds can hire a new manager and then kick on with their ins and outs for the playing squad.
Bamford is reportedly a wanted man, which is good news for the Whites as it’ll make it easier to offload the misfiring and injury-prone striker.
Spanish news outlet Fichajes reported on 5 April that Bamford has offers from other clubs to move away from Elland Road this summer.
The wheels are greased up and ready to roll into motion on this one.
In other Leeds United news, Sky Sports have hinted at a bidding war for this Elland Road ace.