Patrick Bamford has proven Chris Wilder is the right man to oversee Sheffield United rebuild
Twelve goals in 28 Championship appearances this season meant Patrick Bamford was one of the division’s most impactful signings.
Chris Wilder has enough credit in the bank to prove he is the right man to oversee another Sheffield United rebuild at Bramall Lane this summer.
After finishing an underwhelming 13th in the Championship this season, Wilder has long since signalled his intentions to rip up his squad and lay fresh foundations this summer in a bid to bolster United’s chances of competing in the upper echelons of the table next term.
United’s decision to sack Wilder and replace him with Rubén Sellés last June quickly turned out to be a catastrophic decision. Several elements of the Blades’ recruitment last summer also proved to be very costly.
After finding himself back in the managerial hot seat at Bramall Lane in September, tasked with trying to turn United’s fortunes around after a disastrous start to the campaign, Wilder bolstered his squad ahead of the January transfer window with two free agent signings, swooping for former Crystal Palace midfielder Jaïro Riedewald and then former Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford.
Both players more than played their parts in United pulling clear of the drop zone and easing a relegation threat was real when Wilder returned. Riedewald added control, balance and organisation to the engine room while Bamford provided goals and the presence of an out-and-out centre-forward at the top end of the pitch.
To be precise, Bamford added 13 goals to a team short of firepower, 12 of which were plundered in the Championship. Following the conclusion of the campaign last weekend, the only players signed by Championship clubs since the start of last summer’s transfer window who scored more goals in the division than Bamford this season were Hull City duo Oli McBurnie (17) and Joe Gelhardt (14), Josh Windass of Wrexham (16).
Considering Bamford did not make his first appearance of the season until November 23 and claim his first goal until November 26, the fact he even features in this conversation is impressive in itself.
When it emerged Wilder was considering strengthening United’s attack with Bamford, who had been available since leaving Leeds in August, some supporters immediately raised concerns about his injury record and fitness levels.
Bamford, who eventually put pen to paper on a short-term deal at Bramall Lane in November, initially keeping him at Bramall Lane until January, had played just 18 times for Leeds last season, failing to score a single goal. In his defence, he was up against Joël Piroe, who was the Championship’s top goalscorer last season, in the fight for a starting berth.
The previous campaign saw him plunder eight goals in 33 league appearances after overcoming a hamstring injury that saw him miss the start of the 2023/24 season. It was only during the 2021/22 campaign that he really struggled with injuries, limiting him to just 11 outings across all competitions.
However, Bamford quickly proved any doubters wrong by scoring five goals in his first eight appearances for the Blades. As well as bringing goals to the team, he also played his part in United becoming a better functioning team in attacking areas, holding the ball up and bringing others into play.
Ending the campaign with 12 Championship goals to his name, Bamford fully justified Wilder’s decision to take what many dubbed as a gamble back in November. He is now tied down to a contract until the end of next season, and he is one of only a handful of players who are guaranteed a spot in Wilder’s plans for 2026/27.
The successful nature of Bamford’s United career up to this juncture only strengthens the argument for Wilder to oversee another rebuild. The Blades are expected to prioritise free transfers and deals involving small fees this summer - an area of the market in which Wilder has thrived countless times across his spells as United boss.
From the signings of Mark Duffy and John Fleck in 2016 to the captures of David McGoldrick in 2018 and Tyrese Campbell in 2024, some of Wilder’s best signings have arrived on free transfers. He excels in that particular field, and you can bank on him doing it again this summer to boost United’s chances of climbing the Championship ladder next season.
United have never been a chequebook club, meaning the likelihood of signing players on frees, loans and for relatively small fees this summer is not going to flummox Wilder. If anything, it is a scenario, as demonstrated by the fact Bamford was one of the most impactful signings in the Championship, Wilder is likely to thrive in.