What Could Patrick Bamford Add to Sheffield United? | OneFootball

Sheffield United have officially signed former Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford on a short-term contract running to January.

The 32-year-old has been a free agent since leaving Leeds this summer, and a move to Bramall Lane seems likely amid a pressing need for goals.

The Blades have endured a miserable start to the Championship season: after 15 league matches they sit in the relegation zone and are the division’s lowest scorers, with just 11 goals so far.

Bamford is a known quantity in English football. Across his Leeds career he scored 56 league goals in 192 league appearances, and he won one England cap in 2021. His experience at Championship and Premier League level is one of the biggest strengths he would bring to a Blades squad short on striking options.

Chris Wilder And Patrick Bamford’s History

PRESTON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 24: Chris Wilder, Manager of Sheffield United, applauds the fans following the team’s defeat during the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston North End and Sheffield United at Deepdale Stadium on October 24, 2025 in Preston, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Of course, there’s history between the pair. Wilder’s United famously edged Leeds in the 2018/19 promotion race, and Wilder publicly used phrases such as “them Leeds muppets” during the fallout.

Last season, Bamford was filmed leading Leeds fans in an anti-Wilder chant during promotion celebrations, an incident that made headlines. But any ill feeling appears to have been smoothed over: as Wilder himself put it at a press conference in April, “I am a big boy, you give it, you take it. You give it out locally, you take it locally as I have always done. We have our moments, other teams have their moments.

“I had a conversation with [Bamford] yesterday and I have no issue at all with it. I am not sure about the words used from a fellow pro, but I appreciate and respected him giving me a call and we had 20 minutes.”

How Could Patrick Bamford Fit in at Sheffield United?

LEEDS, ENGLAND – APRIL 28: Isaac Schmidt, Jayden Bogle, Patrick Bamford, Junior Firpo and Karl Darlow of Leeds United celebrate promotion to the Premier League at the end of the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United FC and Bristol City FC at Elland Road on April 28, 2025 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Once upon a time, Bamford was one of the brightest young English strikers in the Championship. But that was a long time ago, and with each growing season he became more inconsistent and more prone to knocks and niggles.

There’s still quality in there at 32, but what exactly could Bamford bring to this Sheffield United team?

Firstly, Bamford is not like any striker the Blades currently have from a tactical perspective. Bamford tends to operate beyond the penalty box as much as inside it: he drops to receive, links play and combines with wide players. For a Wilder side that has relied on transitions and cutting inside from wide last season, Bamford’s ability to connect and make late runs into the box could improve United’s overall patterns of play.

Bamford is more of a deep-lying forward with good technical skills (good touch, good strike, good vision) rather than simply acting as an isolated target man or someone that can run the channels.

Bamford has a reputation for high work-rate and pressing from the front, and these are traits that suit a team needing to win and turn pressure into goals. Plus, United currently rank second in high turnovers (110); they just need to start turning those into goals.

One of the main issues fans have with the links to Bamford is his injury and fitness issues in recent campaigns. The contract until January could be a complete waste if the striker picks up a soft tissue injury that lingers for a couple of weeks. United already have an ageing striker in Danny Ings, who has already had his soft tissue injury worries in the last couple of months.

Nevertheless, the free, short-term deal to January makes this a low-cost, potentially high-reward experiment. If Bamford helps lift the team out of the relegation places or provides crucial goals, it’s a tidy piece of business. If it doesn’t work, the club can reassess in January without a large long-term commitment.