da dobrowin： Marcelo Bielsa appears keen to add a striker to his Leeds United ranks in the closing weeks of the transfer window and Middlesbrough hitman Patrick Bamford has been linked with a switch to Elland Road.
da jogodeouro： It’s certainly an exciting rumour for Leeds supporters, but what would be the impact of the Englishman’s arrival in Yorkshire? We’ve taken a closer look at some of the potential consequences if Bamford did pitch up in Leeds to give Bielsa’s promotion bid a mighty boost…
Caleb Ekuban leaves the club
Bielsa does not currently have a lot of depth up front but Bamford’s big-money arrival, with Kemar Roofe and Tyler Roberts – from whom there is much more to come – already as back-up, may convince him to let Ekuban leave the club.
The striker played in 20 Championship games last season and netted just once. Bielsa will bring a more attacking style to Leeds but that doesn’t work if the frontmen miss the chances presented to them. It just hasn’t worked out for him at Elland Road and Bamford’s arrival would allow the club to cut ties.
Leeds make the play-offs
At their best in the early part of last season, Leeds showed that they have a squad capable of mounting a play-off push.
Samuel Saiz and Pablo Hernandez are just two players who will benefit from Bielsa’s more forward-thinking outlook and they have the ability to trouble any defence.
However, play-off pushes are generally powered by a regular goalscorer, and Bamford’s late-season form after Rudy Gestede’s injury showed that he can score on a consistent basis in the Championship.
Saiz goes up another level
Saiz was one of the few plus points to emerge from last season at Elland Road and the feeling persists that he can make a real impact in the second tier, with the right players around him.
Last season, he became a marked man because he was Leeds’ main source of creativity, but with Bamford around to distract defenders, he would be granted more space in which to operate.
If Bielsa does use Saiz as part of a front three, he would be given freedom to roam, tee up Bamford and get shots off himself. If that clicks into gear, he is a genuine player of the season contender.
Leeds finally replace Wood’s goals
Leeds were able to secure a bumper transfer fee for Wood when selling him to Burnley last season, but left it so late that they were unable to use that windfall to secure a replacement of suitable quality.
That deflated the fan base and Leeds’ cutting edge evaporated almost overnight, but Bamford’s arrival for a fee in the region of what Wood’s departure brought in would belatedly replace those goals.
Nothing gets football fans excited about their team’s prospects like the arrival of a goalscorer and Leeds supporters know they need to find a new Wood; Bamford could well be that man.
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