Any striker Leeds United target in the future should not fear the presence of Patrick Bamford in Marcelo Bielsa’s squad, says former Whites midfielder Carlton Palmer.
Bamford is currently the first-choice No.9 at Leeds and thoroughly impressed last season while leading the line for the Yorkshire club.
He featured in all 38 of their Premier League fixtures, managing to score 17 goals in the process. The likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham all failed to keep him quiet in what was a solid campaign for the 28-year-old.
Do Leeds need another striker?
Yes
No
Bearing that in mind, any forward Leeds sign in January or next summer would face a real battle trying to oust Bamford out of the team.
Nevertheless, Palmer does not believe that should deter targets from joining Leeds. When asked if Bamford’s presence could potentially scare off strikers the Whites are interested in, the retired England international told TIF:
“You should back yourself to go there. Players rarely play the full season now because there’s so many games involved in so many competitions, so you have to wait for your opportunity, then you get in there and do your job and hopefully keep your place.
“At the top, no player is ever guaranteed their position. The only thing that guarantees your position in the side is if your performance is regular. If you perform regularly, then you guarantee your own team slot.”
While Bamford did feature in all of Leeds’ top-flight fixtures last season, the England international has already missed five this term, so had the Whites brought in a striker during the summer, there would have been opportunities for him to play.