Patrick Bamford is still available: Wrexham, Portsmouth and Preston should launch bold swoops | OneFootball

Patrick Bamford is now a free agent following his exit from Leeds United

Despite the summer transfer window slamming shut on Monday evening, there is still scope for Championship clubs to add to their squad.

Although permanent transfers and loan moves cannot be completed until New Year's Day, the free agent market allows for managers and head coaches to take a chance on a plethora of experienced players who remain without a club heading into a four-month period of uninterrupted EFL and international fixtures.

Patrick Bamford is now among the list of names available on a free transfer after it was announced last week that the 31-year-old's contract with Premier League newcomers, Leeds United, had been mutually terminated.

The experienced striker scored 60 times in 205 appearances at Elland Road following a £10m switch from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2018 and was a part of two title-winning teams in West Yorkshire.

No doubt the Grantham-born man will be eager to find a new club as soon as possible in order to reignite his goalscoring touch after a tough end to his time with the Whites. With that being said, FLW have listed three Championship sides who should launch a bold swoop for his signature.

Wrexham

Phil Parkinson has already overseen a record-breaking transfer window in North Wales, with Wrexham recruiting several new faces who provide bundles of experience in the second-tier and beyond.

This was no exception in the attacking department, which was bolstered by moves for the likes of Kieffer Moore, Ryan Hardie and Josh Windass.

Despite also having the services of former club-record signing Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez below the aforementioned trio, Bamford would add even more quality and experience as the Red Dragons aim for a respectable first season back at this level since 1982.

With Wrexham having the division's highest net spend, it shows that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney aren't showing any signs of slowing down when it comes to splashing the cash. That could be a huge play given Bamford's ESTIMATED wages at Leeds, which, according to Capology, were in the region of £70,900 per week.

The former Chelsea striker has also previously been linked with the club, and the chance to join one of world football's most talked about projects at this stage in his career should be an opportunity worth considering.

Portsmouth

Over time, Portsmouth will hope to return to their former standpoint as an established Premier League club. But for now, steady progression in the Championship is the order of the day.

The Blues already have a standout goalscorer in the form of Colby Bishop, but there isn't much in the way of experience beyond the former Accrington Stanley hotshot, which is where Bamford could come in handy.

He would provide immediate and adequate competition for Bishop and a useful rotation option for John Mousinho - if the striker was willing to accept said role - and could also aid the development of Thomas Waddingham and Makenzie Kirk, who will hope to play strong roles at Fratton Park in the years to come.

Bamford would also be guaranteed top-quality service on the South Coast as Pompey managed to retain the services of Josh Murphy, who posted the joint-highest number of assists in the division last season (14).

Preston North End

Despite fending off interest in Milutin Osmajic, it was made evident on Deadline Day that Paul Heckingbottom was looking to add another striker to his ranks at Preston North End.

The Lilywhites were unsuccessful in their aims of pursuing Birmingham City's Lyndon Dykes and a loan move for Chelsea's young striker David Datro Fofana, and are short on depth and quality beyond the aforementioned Montenegrin.

With those options now off the table, a move for Bamford could present itself, as he would also provide further quality in front of goal if fully on song, as Preston look to massively improve their goal output this term after just 48 goals in the entirety of last season.

Despite that being said, it remains to be seen whether the East Lancashire club could sway the striker into taking a massive pay cut given his aforementioned ESTIMATED wages at Elland Road, with North End's highest earner this term said to be Aston Villa loanee, Lewis Dobbin, earning an ESTIMATED £17,500 per week.