‘Leeds to breakthrough in Rodrigo Muniz pursuit after Bamford exit update’
Daniel Farke could finally be able to add Rodrigo Muniz to the Leeds United squad after the manager dropped an incredible admission.
The Whites played out a goalless draw against Man United at the Strawberry Stadium on Saturday, 19 July, with none of Lukas Nmecha, Willy Gnonto, Dan James, Joel Piroe, or Harry Gray able to score.
There was no shortage of chances, yet Leeds’ most famous attacker, or potentially infamous due to his injury issues recently, Patrick Bamford, was absent from the matchday squad.
Following the 90 minutes, speaking to the media [Yorkshire Evening Post], Farke admitted that the 32-year-old was no longer part of his Premier League plans ahead of next season after private talks.
Daniel Farke makes cut-throat transfer decision
Given that the forward has accumulated just 112 minutes of first-team football in seven appearances since New Year’s Day, it will really be no surprise to those back at Elland Road.
And with the player’s reported wages in North Yorkshire, both 49ers Enterprises and Farke will be relieved if they can finally get him off the books, albeit he likely played a key role in the changing room last season.
According to The Football League Paper (3 September, 2024), Bamford’s last contract saw his wage rise to £70,000-a-week, as per The Athletic, promotion meant a 50-60 per cent rise in salary for the squad.
Even if the veteran was to be at the lower end of that scale, he would earn around £770,000 until the expiration of his contract next summer, and that could still be noticeably detrimental to the club’s financial situation.
Leeds United to secure Rodrigo Muniz deal
The Whites have already secured deals for Sean Longstaff, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, and Lukas Nmecha, with only the latter arriving on a free transfer from Wolfsburg.
However, Farke is keen to add more reinforcements to avoid relegation straight back down to the Championship next season, and a striker is on the agenda at Elland Road.
Football Insider have previously reported that Fulham were confident of pricing Leeds out of a move for Muniz, having already rejected a bid worth £26million plus £6million in add-ons.
It is believed that the newly promoted side are desperate to seal the striker’s signature, and now, with Bamford likely to be off the books by the end of the summer, the Cottager’s primary barrier may have been weakened.
The money saved on potentially paying their injury-plagued forward, who has made just 15 league starts over the last two seasons, can now go towards signing the 24-year-old Brazilian, who netted 11 goals in all competitions last term.
Bringing the young, exciting forward to the club ahead of next season certainly makes a lot of sense for the Whites, especially if they want to avoid the dropzone, and he would link up perfectly with Leeds’ flying wingers.
While the focus with transfers tends to be on the fee itself, it is often long-term wages that are of more concern to the clubs, so shifting Bamford’s contract could go a long way towards bringing in a notable name like Muniz.