Leeds United January transfer window striker stance amid Championship interest admission

Leeds United are not expecting to say goodbye to Patrick Bamford in the January transfer window, amid interest from Blackburn Rovers.

Rovers boss John Eustace has admitted his former Derby colleague Bamford is a player he admires and one that appears on Blackburn's 'long list' when it comes to potential January reinforcements. The striker, whose wages could well be an obstacle for many second tier outfits including Blackburn, is yet to start a Championship game for the Whites this season having fallen behind Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph in the pecking order since a knee injury prematurely ended his 2023/24 campaign.

Bamford was unavailable for the play-offs and Daniel Farke has gone on record to say that the forward's presence would have helped Leeds over the line to earn Premier League status. Although Leeds attempted to carefully manage the 31-year-old's return to fitness over the summer and in the early part of the season, he has once again been hampered by niggles.

With 26 league games played, Bamford has racked up just 123 minutes of Championship action and is without a goal to his name. But the impending loan exit of Joe Gelhardt to Hull City will leave Farke with just three natural options for the number nine role. Bamford is currently out injured with a hamstring problem and may not return until the start of February. Should Piroe - who missed the FA Cup game at the weekend with a minor muscle issue - or Joseph become unavailable then Farke would be forced to look at one of his wide players as an emergency option up front.

Leeds sources say they are not anticipating Bamford's exit during the window. The table-topping Whites continue to expect a quiet window with Gelhardt's move and Charlie Crew's loan stint at Doncaster Rovers the only bits of business in play at present. Farke insists they will remain alert for opportunities to sign players who could make a difference in positions where they are lighter on numbers but he believes it would be difficult to improve the squad in January.