Leeds eyeing Bamford upgrade who’s a “20 to 25 goal-a-season striker”

The January transfer window has been open for almost two weeks and Leeds United are yet to dip into the market to bolster their first-team squad.

Daniel Farke‘s side are currently top of the Championship by one point, ahead of Sheffield United and Burnley, and may feel that they do not need to make any major moves to improve the team.

The Whites, however, are only one point ahead of the Clarets in third and this means that their position in the automatic promotion spots is far from safe.

Bringing in a player or two in the January transfer window could give the side a lift ahead of the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, to help them push on and secure promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

Leeds beat League Two side Harrogate Town 1-0 in the FA Cup at Elland Road on Saturday and it was a game that summed up their need for a new attacking player, as Mateo Joseph struggled and received a 5/10 rating for his performance.

The West Yorkshire outfit were without Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford, the latter of which they may be without moving forward amid interest in his services.

Why Leeds should sell Patrick Bamford

Journalist Alan Nixon recently reported that Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers are interested in a deal to sign the former England international from the club this month.

The reporter revealed that John Eustace is eyeing up the Leeds number nine to bolster his attacking options heading into the second half of the season, with the former Birmingham boss attempting to add more experience to his group.

Football Insider claimed in December that Bamford is more likely to leave in the summer and that his ‘big’ wages are a ‘problem’ for the Whites, as they make it difficult to facilitate a winter switch.

If Blackburn are willing to stump up the wages required to sign the Englishman, though, then Leeds must cash in on him this month and move to bring another striker in to replace him.

Bamford is currently out with a hamstring injury but was not contributing much on the pitch prior to his absence, with zero goals and zero assists in ten Championship appearances.

As you can see in the table above, the Leeds centre-forward was wasteful in the second tier last season for Farke when he featured more regularly, underperforming his xG by almost two goals.

Bamford is reportedly the top earner in the squad, on £80k-per-week, and his statistics from the 2023/24 campaign and the current term suggest that he is not offering enough on the pitch to justify that.

Therefore, Farke should allow the board to sell him to Blackburn, if the offer is right, and, then, push for Middlesbrough star Emmanuel Latte Latth to come in as his replacement.

Leeds United’s interest in Emmanuel Latte Lath

LeedsUnitedNews recently reported that the Whites are interested in a potential deal to sign the Championship centre-forward to bolster the club’s attacking options.

It was claimed that the West Yorkshire outfit are weighing up whether or not to submit a bid for the Ivorian marksman, as they want to add a new number nine to the group before the end of the January transfer window.

However, it was added that Premier League teams West Ham United, Ipswich Town, and Leicester City are also keeping tabs on his situation,

According to journalist Luca Bendoni, MLS outfit Atlanta United have submitted an offer of around £15m to secure a deal for the Middlesbrough star, although it remains to be seen whether or not that will be enough to tempt them into a sale.

This does, however, show the kind of figures that Leeds may have to go to in order to get a deal done for the 26-year-old sensation ahead of the second half of the season.

Latte Lath’s form for Middlesbrough in the Championship over the past 18 months, though, suggests that he may well be worth splashing the cash on, as he could be a perfect replacement for Bamford this month.

Why Leeds should sign Emmanuel Latte Lath

Whilst the English striker has struggled badly on the pitch for Leeds for most of Farke’s time at the club so far, the Boro striker has proven himself to be a lethal number nine in the second tier.

Speaking to Football League World last summer, former England midfielder Carlton Palmer claimed that Latte Lath “could be a 20 to 25 goal-a-season striker”, and his statistics in the last two seasons suggest that the potential is certainly there for him to be just that.

The Middlesbrough star came close to that 20-goal mark in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign. He racked up an impressive haul of 16 goals in 23 starts, from an xG of just 11.62.

As you can see in the table above, Latte Lath significantly outperformed Bamford in front of goal with his impressive finishing ability, outperforming his xG by more than four goals.

The Leeds target has continued to shine in the Championship this season and is currently on a return of ten goals and two assists in 17 starts for Michael Carrick’s side.

This means that the Ivorian dynamo has scored 26 goals and provided three assists in 40 starts for Middlesbrough at league level since his move to the club from Atalanta in the summer of 2023.

He has provided a consistent and clinical presence at the top end of the pitch for the Teesiders, whilst Bamford has consistently underperformed in front of goal, whilst earning £70k-per-week, in that time.

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Leeds United are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Championship midfield star.

Therefore, Latte Lath, as he is already a proven Championship forward, could be the perfect replacement for Bamford in the January transfer window to provide Farke with the firepower required to get automatic promotion over the line this year.