Coventry City will have one eye on Sheffield United transfer situation - Frank Lampard hopefully won't regret this | OneFootball

Sheffield United have signed Patrick Bamford after he spent some time with Coventry City

Free agent Patrick Bamford has signed for Sheffield United on a short-term deal.

The news broke through multiple sources earlier this week, including from BBC Radio Sheffield, before the club confirmed the deal at midday on Thursday, which is a short-term contract set to run until January.

The 32-year-old had been training with Coventry City, creating speculation around a potential move to Frank Lampard’s side, but his move to Bramall Lane now rules out that option for the time being, with the Sky Blues not thought to have been exploring an offer in any case.

Given Bamford’s recent history with Blades boss Chris Wilder, however, he may have preferred a less awkward move to the CBS Arena, given the option.

Patrick Bamford is still on the hunt for a new club

Bamford had been a free agent since the summer, having been released from his contract by mutual consent by Leeds United as they prepared for their Premier League campaign, following promotion from the Championship.

He was told he was not going to be in Daniel Farke’s plans moving forward, and would be forced to train in the Whites’ academy if he opted to remain at the club, following a season that saw him make just 17 Championship appearances without scoring a goal.

The former England international decided to look for a new club, but took until mid-November to land the opportunity with United.

The rumour mill sprang into action when Bamford was spotted training with Lampard’s Coventry, but CoventryLive soon reported that the Sky Blues’ boss was just doing the striker a favour, with the two having spent time together at Chelsea.

Coventry City will have no issue getting over strong Patrick Bamford output

The fear, naturally, for Coventry now is that if Bamford kicks on with the Blades, it will look like a missed opportunity by Lampard.

And there’s no saying that won’t happen, with the forward having netted eight goals in the second tier as recently as 2023/24, and hit 17 strikes and nine assists in the Premier League just four years ago.

It will be annoying for Coventry if that happens, but they’re not particularly crying out for his experience in their already well-balanced squad, boasting an experienced core with the likes of Matt Grimes, Jamie Allen and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.

Moreover, the league leaders have netted a staggering 40 goals in 15 games, over double what most teams below them have managed in the same time, so they certainly aren’t struggling in the attacking department.

Given their incredible output, Lampard and his advisors are right to avoid making any headline adjustments; if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

Sheffield United may prove a more awkward move for Patrick Bamford

The Blades, on the other hand, are in desperate need of a turn of fortunes, heading into the November international break in the relegation zone.

They’ve mustered just 11 goals this season, four of which coming from the club’s top scorer, midfielder Callum O’Hare.

There is clearly room for a shuffling of Wilder’s pack as we head towards the Christmas period, but it will likely need some clearing-of-the-air talks between Bamford and the Blades boss.

The striker was caught at the end of last season leading a derogatory chant about Wilder, after he had just won promotion with the club’s Yorkshire rivals Leeds. That comes after Wilder branded Bamford a "muppet from Leeds" after Sheffield United won promotion in 2019.

"Had a conversation with Pat yesterday and I've no issue at all with it," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield back in April. "I'm not sure about the words used from a fellow pro! But I appreciated and respected him giving me a call."

That call could prove important for Bamford in making this transition easier, but it’s sure to be one of the first topics of conversation should the striker arrive at Bramall Lane, with the two embarking on a much closer relationship.