Daniel Farke’s decision not to involve Patrick Bamford in pre-season training with the first team in the summer raised some eyebrows. The Leeds United striker was still on a big contract at Elland Road, and Lukas Nmecha was the only striker the club had brought in at that stage of the window.
It took almost the entire summer for Leeds to find a solution for Bamford, and they ultimately decided to pay off his contract and let the forward leave as a free agent just before the end of the transfer window.
The 32-year-old striker was unhappy at the way the whole situation was handled over the summer, and was not too pleased about the fact that Farke didn’t even give him the chance to train with the first team.
Leeds ultimately replaced Bamford in the squad with Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer, and the former Everton forward is the first-choice number 9 at Elland Road this season.
A section of the Leeds fan felt that Farke could have kept Bamford in the squad as one more option, but it is clear that the forward was not in a physical state to cope with the demands of being in the Premier League.
Patrick Bamford is struggling to find a new club
Bamford has been linked with a move to clubs in Spain, the MLS and the Championship since he left Leeds in August. However, nothing has materialised yet.
The striker’s representatives were in detailed discussions with Getafe over a deal, and the striker was keen on joining the Spanish club last month.
However, a deal is yet to be finalised, and even Championship clubs such as Portsmouth have ruled out signing the 32-year-old striker on a free transfer.
He has suitors in the MLS as well, but there is nothing to suggest that any deal is advanced enough for him to start packing his bags for a new club.
Bamford’s injuries over the last few seasons have impacted his overall physical capabilities, and clubs remain cautious about his long-term fitness.
Bamford was unavailable for 26 games for Leeds in the previous two seasons and hasn’t had a year since his knee injury in 2018, during which he has not missed at least five games due to fitness concerns.
Unless he agrees to sign a highly incentivised contract, the striker will find it hard to get a new club in the near future.
Daniel Farke is proving to be right
Farke made the final call to ensure that Bamford was more or less told in the summer that he had no future at Elland Road, which resulted in his departure.
It was a risky decision as Mateo Joseph was also not coming back in the summer, and Nmecha was the only striker Leeds had signed at that stage of the window.
With Leeds struggling to sign strikers, there was a call for Bamford to be recalled as the Premier League season approached. However, Farke stuck to his guns, and the Whites signed Calvert-Lewin.
The 32-year-old striker’s inability to remain fit for any lengthy period of time last season in the Championship drained any faith the manager had in him.
Farke was not going to have a player in his squad that he knew he could not trust because of his fitness issues, and was certain about getting rid of him.
With Bamford struggling to find any takers in the market, the Leeds manager’s decision to let him go is looking smarter with each passing day.
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