Patrick Bamford Sheffield United state of play amid honest Chris Wilder admission over ex-Leeds United man’s future
Patrick Bamford Sheffield United state of play amid honest Chris Wilder admission over ex-Leeds United man’s future
Chris Wilder, the Sheffield United manager, is confident that discussions about Patrick Bamford’s Bramall Lane future will “not be a drawn out affair” as negotiations continue between the club and the former England international’s camp. The former Leeds United man’s short-term deal is set to expire next month.
Wilder has long since stated his desire to extend it, after recently agreeing a similar deal with Jairo Riedewald ahead of the Dutch international’s January expiry, but an agreement has not been reached ahead of this weekend’s home clash with Birmingham City.
For his part Bamford is enjoying life at Bramall Lane, having found the net twice since ending his period as a free agent by signing earlier this year, and tying up an agreement would be another big boost for the Blades ahead of the second part of the season.
“Yeah, he's in discussions and it’s between agent and club,” Wilder said. “I didn't think Pat had one of his better games [last time out against West Brom]. I think, looking at that, it maybe just caught up with him a little bit.
“Sometimes that can happen, when you come in having not played any football and all of a sudden play the minutes that he plays. So maybe that's my mistake. He was a little bit lacklustre, a little bit off of it, like they all were for one reason or the other. Mentally or physically.
Patrick Bamford Sheffield United state of play amid honest Chris Wilder admission over ex-Leeds United man’s future
“But Pat's enjoying his time here, so that'll take its due course. Clearly, it’s out of my hands now. It's with Pat, Pat's agent, and us as a football club. But speaking to Pat on a daily basis, regularly, he's enjoying his football. He's expressed a wish to extend.
“But as you know, agents who want to get the best deal will still look in the market as well and maybe give him some options for what he has going into January. We have to accept that from our part, because we offered him a deal to January. So hopefully that gets extended.”
Wilder declined to elaborate on the exact expiry date of Bamford’s current deal, and whether he is scheduled to become a free agent at the start, middle or end of a January that sees United play seven times alongside their transfer window work.
He is honest in his admission that Bamford may yet be tempted away by another club but insists that United are “in the frame” to keep him for the rest of the season and potentially beyond.
“We're hoping to have discussions in the next 10 days, leading up to January,” Wilder added. “There has got to be a decision, and I don't think it will be a drawn-out affair if the discussions are going on now, in and around what the numbers look like and what the deal looks like.
“It might need tweaking. It might get accepted, it might get rejected. It might be somebody who comes in from afar, who offers Pat something that's a little bit more to his liking. But we're in the frame, which I'm delighted to be in.”