Patrick Bamford was once revered as the main man at Leeds United but his disappointing displays this season, combined with his woeful injury record, suggest that Javi Gracia should finally cash in on the striker this summer.

Should Leeds get rid of Patrick Bamford?

Leeds signed the Englishman from Middlesbrough back in the summer of 2018 in a deal worth £10m and he has been a regular at Elland Road ever since, enjoying the best form of his career under Marcelo Bielsa.

Bamford had previously failed to impress in the Premier League with the likes of Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough, Norwich City and Burnley, scoring just once, but could be relied upon to be a consistent goalscorer in the second tier.

He certainly proved to be a hit at Leeds and was a big factor in their title-winning Championship campaign, notching 16 goals and four assists in the 2019/20 season as the Whites returned to the top flight.

Having previously struggled in the Premier League, Bamford was perhaps expected to do the same again in Leeds colours but he went from strength to strength under Bielsa in the first season back in the big time, managing an impressive 17 goals and eight assists as he featured in every league fixture.

Unfortunately, that would be as good as it got for the 29-year-old, as injury issues meant that he managed just two goals and two assists in nine outings last year, while he has the same record in 19 appearances so far throughout 2022/23.

Bamford's WhoScored average rating of 6.35 in the Premier League ranks him as the 21st-best player at Elland Road this term, which emphasises that he is no longer the talismanic figure he once was and his time at the club should soon come to an end with links away now firmly in the press.

He has come in for his fair share of criticism so far this term, with Leeds Live writer Beren Cross dubbing him "anonymous" after a defeat against Leicester City, while pundit Tam McManus also blasted his lack of involvement over the past two years.

He said: “This is the second season where he has barely kicked a ball. At some point, someone has to say ‘enough is enough'.

“You have to cut your losses at some point and make a hard decision but if Bamford isn’t going to play then he shouldn’t be there.”

Bamford is one of the best-paid players at Elland Road, earning £70k per week, and it seems clear that Gracia should get rid of him before his contract expires in 2026, as his poor form and injury record suggests that he is never going to re-establish himself as the player he once was at Leeds.