Soccer Football - Premier League - Leeds United v Fulham - Elland Road, Leeds, Britain - October 23, 2022 Leeds United's Patrick Bamford reacts REUTERS/Craig Brough EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford‘s constant fitness struggles are proving hugely costly for the Whites, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.
The Lowdown: Injury-hit season for Bamford
The 29-year-old hit a purple patch in his career during the 2020/21 season, scoring 17 goals in the Premier League, earning him a call-up to the England squad.
Since then, Bamford has since found himself horribly plagued by injuries, however, managing only ten league starts this term and scoring only twice in the competition, following a season last year with just two strikes from seven starts.
It certainly isn’t ideal for the striker to be constantly unavailable so often in Leeds’ relegation battles, highlighting the need for new attacking reinforcements this summer.
The Latest: Journalist bemoans ‘costly’ striker
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones bemoaned Bamford’s injuries, saying he’s ‘literally’ costing Javi Gracia points and places:
“If you can’t get him on the pitch often enough, then you just can’t keep waiting and waiting.
“We know how good he is, but the constant wait for him to be fit and firing is costing them now. It’s literally costing them league places. They need to go out and sign the proven goalscorer they needed to get signed in January.”
The Verdict: Striker simply has to come in
It is sad to see how much Bamford’s influence has diminished in recent years, with most of it not his own fault because of the persistent injury problems holding him back.
The one-cap England international just isn’t the player he was a couple of years ago – Jurgen Klopp described him as ‘exceptional’ at that point – and an upgrade is now required in that position.
Keeping hold of Bamford makes sense for now, considering he still possesses genuine quality, but bringing in a new striker has to be one of club’s main priorities this summer.
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