Southampton journalist Steve Grant has been sharing his thoughts on Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford and his season with the Yorkshire club so far.
This comes after Grant recently made an appearance on Southampton-themed podcast The Total Saints Podcast where he spoke about a number of topics concerning Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.
On the subject of their upcoming Premier League clash with Leeds, Grant had this to say about Bamford. (44.06)
He said: “I find it absolutely baffling that Patrick Bamford has suddenly turned into a good striker. Obviously, Chelsea paid decent money to sign him as a 15-year-old from Nottingham Forest and they then farmed him out on loan five or six times, and he was basically awful everywhere and he wasn’t even that great for Leeds last season.
“They would have absolutely run away with the league and had it sewn up before the lockdown if he’d been in the same form as he has been this season and yet something’s just clicked in him this season and all of a sudden he’s not just a ruthless striker but he also shows him an awful lot of intelligence I think in terms of his runs, dragging defenders out of the way which then allows other players like Raphinha and Rodrigo when he’s been fit to run into those gaps and create chances through other avenues.”
Leeds signed Bamford back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Championship side Middlesbrough for a fee of £7.11 million.
Since then, the 27-year-old, who is currently valued at £13.5 million, has made 96 appearances for the Yorkshire club, prior to their Premier League clash against the Saints, in which he has managed to score 38 goals and provide 12 assists along the way (per Transfermarkt).
TIF Thoughts on Steve Grant’s comments on Bamford…
Given how Bamford is currently Leeds’ highest-rated player with an impressive season rating of 7.13/10 for his performances in the league this season, as well as being their top goalscorer, it’s clear to see why Grant has been so impressed with the striker’s efforts with the club this season.
Has Bamford been Leeds' best player so far this season?
Yes
No
In our view, Bamford has been one of Leeds’ standout players so far this season and if he can continue his good form in their next game against Southampton and help his side secure the win, this would give them a good step towards the top half of the table.