Patrick Bamford left Leeds United in the summer amid acrimonious circumstances after his contract was terminated. He has found a new lease of life under Chris Wilder at Sheffield United.
He joined the Championship club in November on a short-term contract, and the 32-year-old striker has been an instant hit at Bramall Lane, scoring five times in 10 league appearances.
Wilder has been advocating for a long-term contract for Bamford. Sheffield United are in talks with his agents, but no new agreement is in place ahead of the striker’s current deal expiring after this weekend’s FA Cup clash against Mansfield Town.
Bamford’s goalscoring form has attracted interest from other ambitious Championship clubs, and there is a real chance he could move on from Bramall Lane.
Chris Wilder worried about losing Patrick Bamford
The Sheffield United boss conceded that he is pushing Bamford hard to convince him to stay. However, he admitted that there are a few things beyond his control.
He revealed that Sheffield United were prepared to offer him a longer contract when they signed him, and it was the striker who wanted to gamble on himself by opting for a shorter deal.
| Games played | 10 |
|---|---|
| Goals | 5 |
| Minutes played | 488 |
Wilder is aware of the interest from other clubs. However, he is hopeful that Bamford will understand he fits well at Sheffield United and will sign a new deal soon.
Wilder told The Sheffield Star: “I’m pushing as much as I can. But obviously, there’s a negotiation involved in it. And there will be an attraction from other clubs because of what he’s done. So that was the gamble of bringing him in.
“He wanted to sign a short-term deal as well. So it’s not that we didn’t give him a longer-term deal. That’s the road that he wanted to go down. He’s backed himself, which is good. And we’ve backed ourselves in terms of a club and what we can give him.
“So it’s pretty much a balancing act, what we’ve given Pat and what he’s given us. I think we’re a good fit for him, and he’s a good fit for us. So hopefully, yes, we can get that over the line in mid-January.”
Ipswich Town’s interest is complicating matters
Sheffield United have been worried about more ambitious Championship clubs snaring Bamford away from them in the coming days, and that is exactly what may happen.
According to journalist Alan Nixon, Ipswich are interested in snapping up the striker on a free transfer this month.
Kieran McKenna’s men are third in the table and are genuine contenders for promotion back to the Premier League this season. The Ipswich boss wants to add Bamford’s experience to his squad.
The former Leeds striker shares a close friendship with ex- Ipswich Town loanee Kalvin Phillips, which could allow him to gain first-hand insight into what life is like at Ipswich under McKenna’s management.
Ipswich are also offering Bamford another chance of being part of a promotion-winning squad, while Sheffield United still only have an outside chance of making the playoffs.
