OPINION
Leeds United look to be closing in on a deal to sign Middlesbrough striker Patrick Bamford, and the move raises several important questions for the Whites as we enter the final days of the transfer window.
Football Insider report that Leeds have agreed a £6.75million fee for Bamford, with Marcelo Bielsa looking to bolster his attacking force with proven Championship talent.
The football website claim that the Whites have become frustrated in their attempts to sign Derby striker Matej Vydra, who has been the club’s top attacking target this summer.
While this report does not definitively claim that Leeds have given up in their efforts to sign Vydra, that is what seems to be suggested, and that is worrying for fans.
To go from Vydra, who scored 22 goals in 44 games in all competitions, to Bamford, who scored 13 goals in 44 games in all competitions, would be a huge step down.
The 24-year-old is a real talent, there is no doubt about that, but Leeds cannot afford to be signing players who may or may not perform at the required level.
Bamford has been hugely inconsistent over the past season or so, and that kind of form will not cut it for a club chasing promotion, as illustrated by Middlesbrough falling short last season.
Vydra on the other hand is a goal machine in the Championship, and looks like he could be the man to fire Leeds into contention for a Premier League place.
So, if Leeds have really abandoned their pursuit of Vydra to chase Bamford, then the club are on course to make a huge mistake, with Victor Orta the villain.
However, there is still the possibility that this swoop for Bamford will happen alongside one for Vydra, and that would be a masterstroke from the recruitment team, with Orta becoming a hero.
Recruiting two strikers who scored 35 goals between them last season is a powerful statement of intent, and one that would put Leeds in immediate contention for promotion next term.
At the moment it is totally unclear what the situation is, but Leeds fans must now hope for the best as the end of the transfer window draws closer and closer.