Ipswich Town told to 'keep their hands off' Sheffield United man as deal nears - 'there is no chance' | OneFootball

Sheffield United have been encouraged to beat Ipswich Town to the signing of Patrick Bamford

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sheffield United have been backed to win the race for Patrick Bamford’s signature amid reported interest from Ipswich Town, having already tied down Jairo Riedewald to a longer contract following his short-term arrival.

After coming bitterly close to promotion last term, the Blades have experienced a huge contrast during the 2025/26 campaign.

Under new boss Ruben Selles, United lost their first six matches of the season in all competitions, bringing a quick end to the Spaniard’s time in charge.

Chris Wilder returned to Bramall Lane for a third stint as manager, but struggled to turn things around immediately. The Steel City side would eventually be defeated 11 times in their first 14 matches, before performances started to improve.

After 25 games, Sheffield United now sit 16th in the second-tier and are just nine points shy of the play-off places. One big factor that has contributed to their upturn in form has been the signing of Patrick Bamford.

The 32-year-old joined the Blades in November on a short-term contract that expires later this month, and has been an instant hit at Bramall Lane, scoring five goals in 10 Championship matches.

Sheffield United backed to beat Ipswich Town to Patrick Bamford deal

With Bamford’s contract coming up for renewal, it seemed almost a formality that he would remain with United.

However, journalist Alan Nixon has recently reported that Ipswich Town have been keeping a close eye on developments and could be ready to make a move for the forward.

A fresh report from Football Insider suggests that the Blades are still set to win the race for the striker, but nothing has been formalised at this moment in time and Ipswich could still pull out a late surprise.

When queried on the possibility of Bamford heading to the Tractor Boys, Football League World’s Sheffield United fan pundit, Jimmy (AKA BladesRamble), affirmed that his club should be the ones capturing the former Leeds United man.

“Ipswich can keep their hands off,” stated Jimmy. “There is no chance. I would be absolutely raging if he went to Ipswich.

“He's been such a good player for us, levelled us up indefinitely. I'd go so far as to say he's now the best striker at the club. He's been a big reason for our rise up the table and our change in form.

“I'm really hopeful that he stays with Sheffield United and I'm confident he will. Not just because we took a chance on him, but because I think he feels comfortable here and wanted here.

“I think it's all lined up for him to stay at Sheffield United.”

Sheffield United must avoid Patrick Bamford nightmare

Given how poorly Sheffield United started the 2025/26 campaign, it seems almost unbelievable that they are within a few wins of the top six.

However, when looking at the last 10 matches, the Blades sit top of the Championship’s form table, which highlights how well they have been playing in recent times.

This time period somewhat links to Bamford joining the club, making it even more crucial that Wilder and Co. convince him to stay at Bramall Lane.