After what Daniel Farke said in his pre-Stoke City press conference, Patrick Bamford is very certainly on his way out of Leeds United in January.
Farke commended Bamford after his lengthy stay on the sidelines, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post (24 October), after he made substitute appearances in the Whites’ past four games.
However, his comments suggested that he may have to wait for regular minutes for Leeds, which will be bad news for Bamford’s season-long ambitions.
“Patrick was out for such a long time, eight weeks, we have to be careful, but we are happy to have Patrick back,” Farke added.
“I mentioned our goal total; we are already on a really good path; we create opportunities.” I’m also glad to have Bamford back as a proven goal scorer at this level. Patrick is a senior figure and it’s great to have him around; he’s a great teammate.”
A fit Bamford has the ability to play regularly in the Championship, but with few opportunities on the future, he may look to leave in January.
Bamford would be wasting away on the bench with Joel Piroe, Georginio Rutter, and other attackers ahead of him in Farke’s mind after their productive start to life back in the second level. While his talent is evident, his injuries have certainly hampered his control of the Elland Road frontline, thus a transfer would suit him.
After such an extended absence, Bamford will need consistent minutes to rebuild himself as a reliable goalscorer, which will be impossible to do from the bench.
Occasional cameos in the closing moments of games will not suffice to fulfil Bamford’s aspirations, thus he may opt to join another promotion-chasing team this winter. Despite his limited playing time, the 30-year-old has shown indications of rebirth.
According to FBRef, he has only played 0.7 90s of league football but has amassed 4.09 shots per 90, the most in the Leeds squad, and 5.45 shot-creating actions. While his limited minutes will certainly have an impact on these numbers, he is a player who is ready for regular involvement.
The Elland Road faithful would be heartbroken to see him leave after five seasons, but it may be the wisest decision for all parties.
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