Bamford bids farewell as Leeds continue summer reshuffle

Patrick Bamford admits he is still coming to terms with his Leeds United exit after bringing his seven-year stay at Elland Road to an end by mutual agreement, Sport360NG reports.

The 31-year-old striker, who arrived from Middlesbrough in 2018 for £7m, scored 60 goals in 205 appearances and played a central role in two promotion-winning campaigns. His standout season came in 2020-21, when he struck 17 times during Leeds’ long-awaited return to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa.

Bamford also earned an England cap in 2021 but revealed he was informed last month by manager Daniel Farke that he no longer featured in the club’s plans. Had he stayed, he would have been required to train with the under-21 squad.

Reflecting on his departure in an emotional Instagram message, Bamford said:
“Right now, with the way it has come to an end and the way things have been handled recently, it is all too raw for me to reflect on immediately. But in the years to come I will look back at this period of my life with nothing but joy and pride and be super happy with what I have achieved. I want to thank all the managers I played under but especially Marcelo Bielsa. I don’t know where the club would be without the foundations he laid.”

Meanwhile, Leeds have sanctioned two further departures on loan for the 2025-26 campaign. Full-back Isaac Schmidt has joined Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen, while Belgian winger Largie Ramazani will spend the season with Valencia.

Schmidt, a Switzerland international who made 14 appearances after signing from St Gallen last summer, has moved on following the £10m arrival of James Justin from Leicester City. Ramazani, formerly of Manchester United’s academy, returns to Spain having previously spent four years at Almeria. The 24-year-old helped Leeds clinch the Championship title with six goals last term but struggled for opportunities after suffering ankle ligament damage in October.

Leeds have been busy strengthening their squad since promotion, with 10 new recruits already through the door, including Noah Okafor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach, Sean Longstaff, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Jaka Bijol.