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(Credit: Imago)
Oliver Walton
Tue 12 August 2025 16:15, UK
Leeds boss Daniel Farke may be about to hand Patrick Bamford a huge reprieve after the Whites were turned down in key transfer pursuits.
Leeds marched on to the Championship title last season in superb form, as Daniel Farke’s side picked up 100 points across the campaign to return to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
Their step-up to the top-flight is set to be a challenging one, but the Whites have moved to seal the free signing of Wolfsburg forward Lukas Nmecha to bolster the squad, and more arrivals are expected in the coming weeks as Football Insider understand Farke has £150million to splash this summer.
(Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)
Nmecha will provide competition to last season’s second-tier top-scorer Joel Piroe, but beyond that pair, Leeds are currently struggling for options in attack with Mateo Joseph and Joe Gelhardt recently leaving on loan and two of their main forward targets seemingly slipping through their fingers.
Bamford was told that he is not part of Farke’s plans for this season last month, but those setback could see the one-cap England international reluctantly welcomed back into the fold soon by Farke.
Bamford has been shunned by Farke, and was told that he would not be involved in Leeds’ pre-season camp in Germany and was to be excluded from first-team training ahead of the new campaign.
Upon revealing his decision last month, Farke spoke of being unable to “carry on with five or six strikers” in his squad, but now he only has two, and looks no closer to being able to bring in a third or fourth.
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Leeds have been plotting a move for Fulham frontman Rodrigo Muniz all summer, and he is their “priority target” in terms of a striker [LeedsLive], but he is still yet to leave Craven Cottage and now looks more likely to move abroad when he does.
Italian outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport (11 August) have revealed that Muniz asked not to play in Fulham’s friendly against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday (9 August) because he was aware of Atalanta’s serious interest, and he is also their main centre-forward target.
According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, via X (12 August), Fulham recently rejected a €40m (£34.5m) offer for Muniz from the Serie A side, but the Brazilian striker remains “determined” to join Atalanta, and so that deal now looks off the table for Leeds.
Another target that the Whites have been in for is Rennes forward Arnaud Kalimuendo, who scored 17 goals in 33 Ligue 1 games last season, but L’Equipe have reported that the Frenchman has refused a move to Elland Road, with Brentford now in talks to sign him as a Yoane Wissa replacement [Mike McGrath].
(Credit Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)
It is clear that nothing is really going Farke or Leeds’ way in the market right now, and while Bamford has been told to train away from his senior teammates, it may be time for the German boss to swallow his pride and restore him to the first-team, at least until some new strikers are signed.
The 31-year-old has scored more Premier League goals than anyone else in the Whites’ squad right now, and even though he has been in poor form as of late, he can still surely make an impact off the bench or simply even in the dressing room ahead of a young, inexperienced striker like Harry Gray.
Former scout Mick Brown told Football Insider back in May that Everton striker Beto was on Leeds’ shortlist of targets following promotion after the Toffees forward netted eight top-flight goals last term.
He has stayed put for now, but Brown also revealed to Football Insider last month that Everton still plan to accept offers of £25million for Beto this summer, and so Leeds should have a clear path to his signature if they are willing to spend such a fee.
AppearancesGoalsAssists71152Beto’s Everton career stats
The Whites need to push for his signature, as he has already proven his quality and reliability in the top-flight with the Toffees, while Piroe and Nmecha are new to playing in the league and each could struggle with the physicality and intensity compared to the Championship and the Bundesliga.
Farke should be demanding much more from his board and recruitment staff right now, as the fact that Bamford could still be a viable option this close to the season shows that they have planned poorly, but the capture of Beto in the coming days would bolster their options and render the 31-year-old redundant to Leeds once again.
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