Patrick Bamford training with Championship club ahead of potential transfer after Leeds exit
Patrick Bamford has visited a high-flying Championship side as he continues to look for a new club to join after leaving Leeds in August.
Patrick Bamford became a cult hero at Elland Road for his scoring exploits at the club in both the Premier League and Championship, but things turned sour last season as he struggled with injury and form concerns.
Bamford was told that he was not part of Daniel Farke’s plans for this season in July, and was then forced to sit out of Leeds’ pre-season camp in Germany while being excluded from first-team training ahead of the new campaign.
Football Insider revealed in the summer that Bamford is open to staying in England or moving abroad amid a likely Elland Road exit, and Leeds confirmed Bamford’s departure in late August with the two parties choosing to mutually cancel his contract.
He is still yet to find a new club nearly two months on from departing the West Yorkshire club, but could be about to make a move back to the Championship to link up with someone he knows well from early in his career.
Bamford seen at Coventry City’s training ground
The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has revealed that Bamford has been seen at Coventry City‘s training ground as he continues to look for his next move after leaving Leeds.
Numerous Championship sides including Wrexham were interested in Bamford‘s services earlier on in the summer before a decision had been made on his future, and he could now be set to play in the English second-tier once again.
Coventry are managed by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, who knows Bamford well from their time together at the club during very different periods of their careers between 2012 and 2014.
The Sky Blues have been mightily impressive in the Championship so far this term, as they currently sit top of the league, unbeaten, with 31 goals scored in just 11 games up to now.
What Frank Lampard has said about Bamford in the past
There is no telling if Bamford is particularly desperate to start playing again after a turbulent end to his time at Leeds, but he is clearly taking steps to finding a new club having been seen at Coventry.
It is currently unclear if he will sign a deal with the West Midlands outfit, but Lampard clearly rates him highly based off what he said about Bamford during his Leeds pomp in December 2020.
In an interview with Sky Sports, he said: “I remember him well. He was a young player when he arrived at the club. Clearly he had great finishing abilities and an eye for goal.
“I think he should be proud of the way his career has gone; to make different moves and come back and be one of the leading scorers in the Premier League, in a very good Leeds team.”
Bamford ended that season with 17 Premier League goals, but only scored 14 league goals in the four seasons that followed in both the top-flight and second-tier.
At 32-years-old it is unclear how fit and ready he could be to make an impact on a team as good as the Sky Blues, but if his wages are not too high, it will surely be a signing that many fans welcome as they aim to achieve automatic promotion this season.