Patrick Bamford: Ex-Leeds United cult hero close to professional football return - but not in England
Patrick Bamford could be jetting off abroad for a shock return to top-flight football.
The 32-year-old striker, released by Leeds United this summer, is reportedly close to signing with La Liga club Getafe.
Bamford scored 60 goals in 205 appearances across seven seasons at Elland Road but endured a difficult final year, failing to find the net in 17 Championship games.
Despite that, Getafe are said to be in advanced talks, with Spanish journalist Matteo Moretto reporting that Bamford is set to fly out today (September 23) to finalise the deal.
Though Spain’s transfer window has closed, free agents remain eligible to sign for a new club.
If completed, the move would give Bamford a second chance at the top level. He has 24 Premier League goals to his name and earned one England cap in 2021, starting in a 4-0 win over Andorra.
Bamford was part of the Leeds squad that secured promotion last season, but manager Daniel Farke told him he was not in the club’s plans going forward.
The striker admitted his exit felt “raw,” but thanked supporters and singled out Marcelo Bielsa for praise in a farewell statement, in which he said: “I don’t know where the club would be without the foundations he laid.”
Bamford began his career at Nottingham Forest before Chelsea signed him for £1.5m in 2012. After a spell at Middlesbrough, he joined Leeds in 2018, where he became a central figure in their rise back to the Premier League.