Patrick Bamford has been told by Daniel Farke that he has no future at Leeds United ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season
As he heads into the last year of his contract at Elland Road, Patrick Bamford worked tirelessly through the summer to get himself sharp and fully fit for an eighth season with Leeds United.
Lukas Nmecha’s arrival as the only striker hasn’t mattered, with Daniel Farke telling Bamford he’s not in the plans of the club beyond this summer. Simon Jordan agrees with Farke on Bamford, and many may see it as the correct decision.
That is arguably because Bamford isn’t the same player he was under Marcelo Bielsa and is unlikely to ever be so again. Despite giving the club seven years of service, Bamford has dealt with widespread criticism at Leeds, too.
Graham Smyth is ‘fascinated’ by Patrick Bamford’s Leeds United situation
Bamford still hopes to play for England again, which is why he has worked so hard to get fit in Leeds’ pre-season. That hasn’t given him a case in Farke’s eyes and now the question remains regarding where next for Bamford?
Chris O’Connor wrote a play about Bielsa and Bamford’s time at the club and he explained how Bamford was with everyone when he came to watch it. Speaking to Graham Smyth via the Inside Elland Road Podcast, O’Connor talked the Leeds striker up.
He said: “He came, he was so nice, he stayed and chatted to everyone. I mean, stayed around and spoke to everyone, had time for everyone, and was personable; and that’s not always the case in my experience. So, yeah, seemed like a really good guy.”
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Graham said: “Yeah, I’ve always had that impression from Bamford that he’s he’s kind of he’s a nice lad, you know, he’s a good lad. Football’s just a brutal industry, isn’t it?
“Like you know you can be a hero one minute and then you can spend two seasons just injured frustrated on the sidelines on the subs bench and then just that’s it.
“You know, kind of time to move on. And it is time to move on for Bamford, I guess, you know, but Farke has made it very clear. I am fascinated to see what Bamford does.
“Does he does he stick it out thinking, ‘you know what? I’ve no real financial incentive to move. I might only have to wait 10 games and Leeds might get a new manager. Maybe the new manager will will want me.’
“But then, at the same time, there’s a huge risk to that because Leeds are in the market for a striker. All right, they haven’t got one yet and they’re taking their sweet time about it.
“But they’ve also got Lucas Nmecha, they’ve got Harry Gray coming through, and they’ve got Joel Piroe who was last year’s golden boot winner in the Championship.”
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What will Patrick Bamford’s next move be?
There is every chance that the 31-year-old never plays Premier League football again, but Bamford has had an impact in both the first and second tiers of English football.
However, the question over where remains. Bamford is open to an MLS switch at some stage and perhaps his mindset could change in the future, while Wrexham have been linked to Bamford as well.
Smyth has suggested Stoke City for Bamford previously, but his wages will almost certainly be a stumbling block to any Championship move this summer.
He could, as Smyth says, sit and earn a huge wage at Leeds for the final 10 months of his deal at Elland Road. That would make him a free agent at 32 and able to take one last meaningful move in his career.