"Deeper transfer issues" - Leeds United claim made as player's Elland Road future clarified | OneFootball

The 30-year-old looks likely to continue at Elland Road this summer, despite recent issues.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Leeds United have faced a tough summer up to now, and despite the news of Willy Gnonto committing to the club for the new season, transfer issues from the past look likely to come back to haunt the Whites.

Although it seemed likely that Patrick Bamford would be on the move in this transfer window, reports from Football Insider have stated that the 30-year-old will stay at Elland Road.

Bamford, who started his career at Chelsea, has made nearly 200 appearances for Leeds since he joined the club from Middlesbrough in 2018, but failed to start in either of the team's opening league fixtures.

He has scored just 14 times in the last three seasons, with a host of injuries and inconsistent form halting his progress in what should have been his prime years as a professional footballer.

Nevertheless, he now has the opportunity to impress in Yorkshire once again, and roll back the years in a more supportive role compared to the one he has had in the past.

Bamford looks the complete opposite of his former self

Despite never being the most prolific of strikers, Bamford has always been difficult to defend against and was a real handful for defenders during his peak.

But, since the end of the 2020/21 season, he has found himself in a decline, and has struggled to stay fit consistently.

He scored 17 times in 38 Premier League games in Leeds' first campaign back in the top flight since 2004, but his current condition and form is a complete juxtaposition to that of three years ago.

FLW's Leeds Fan Pundit, Kris Smith, is worried about Bamford and the situation that Leeds are now in: "The first games of this season have been quite alarming in terms of what Bamford can really provide us upfront, what he can offer, albeit he's seemingly coming back from injury and getting up to 100% speed.

"But it is a shame to see that there is quite an obvious physical decline with Bamford after he was so good initially when we got into the Premier League under Bielsa.

"I do think now it's just got to the point where we can't really call upon him as a side that's pushing for the top two. I don't think he's at that level anymore."

Bamford issues are signs of problematic few years higher up

Although Leeds came close to promotion last season, losing out in the play-off final to Southampton in May, Daniel Farke has struggled to keep the team together and has lost several key stars.

Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter have all left the club this summer, but the Whites are yet to splash out properly on replacements for their stars of seasons past, which has left Leeds with a lot of squad players that are not the quality needed to challenge for promotion.

Bamford fits into this category and although his involvement in 2024/25 will be limited, if the window had been managed better, he would more likely have been able to move on.

Kris has seen the problems of this summer coming for a while now: "Obviously, none of this is his fault, but we've had this issue for so long. There’s been a lack of investment in signing a number nine that can lead the line from the front. It means that we're having to rely on him.

"He's always been inconsistent in front of goal, and he's always had his injury problems and as much as that's not his fault, there's just a massive reliance on him. That's not healthy for a football club."

He continued: "It's fine that we're retaining him now, given the position we're in and Mateo Joseph's taken the starting mantle off him, and we don't have an abundance of options meanwhile.

"But Bamford just being relied on so much in recent seasons is a sign of deeper transfer issues that Leeds have had and something that we need to move on from as soon as we can."