Middlesbrough’s Patrick Bamford stance made clear following rumours of shock return for Leeds striker

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Many Middlesbrough fans’ eyebrows were raised when rumours of a potential Patrick Bamford return appeared on fan forums.

The former Boro striker is currently looking for a new opportunity after being pushed out of Leeds manager Daniel Farke’s first-team plans.

Rob Edwards’ side are currently seriously short of options up top, with Tommy Conway the only senior striker available and the transfer deadline looming ominously on the horizon.

Emmanuel Latte Lath – who recently caught Ipswich’s eye – was sold in January for a record fee of £22.5million to Atlanta United, while his intended replacement Sevilla loanee Kelechi Iheanacho didn’t impress enough to sign permanently, ultimately leaving Boro short.

• READ MORE: Rav van den Berg transfer saga comes to an end as Middlesbrough agree £11.2m deal for star man

Middlesbrough have ‘no interest’ in Patrick Bamford

Bamford was a hit at the Riverside when he arrived on a season-long loan from Chelsea in 2014, and again when he signed permanently in January 2017.

He made 97 appearances for the North East outfit across both spells, scoring 33 goals and aiding them to finish in the play-off spots both times. However, there is nothing to suggest the Teesside club are looking to tap into that nostalgia, as per fresh reports.

According to The Northern Echo’s Dominic Shaw, Boro are not pursuing their former striker.

Replying to a fan’s post on X asking for information on a potential Bamford return, Shaw replied: “No interest at all.”

Bamford’s injury record

• 2018/19 – 28 games missed
• 2021/22 – 35 games missed
• 2022/23 – 5 games missed
• 2023/24 – 10 games missed

Last month, Leeds boss Daniel Farke revealed he had informed 31-year-old Bamford he could leave, saying: “I had a really open and honest conversation with Patrick, which was important. He knows how much I rate him as a player, and I would have preferred a fit Patrick Bamford for the last two seasons.

“But he is a player who needs to be the main man. He needs an arm round the shoulder after some difficult seasons. I was not willing to tell him he was the main man at Premier League level.

“In the second day of pre-season, I got him into my office and told him he is not in my plans for the upcoming season. It would have been easy for me to hide behind the sporting director or wait until we got someone else in, but he has done so much for this club; he deserves respect and transparency.”

Bamford has spent seven years at Leeds after signing from Middlesbrough for an initial fee of £7million in 2018. He will need to look beyond Teesside to reignite his career, which has been marred by injuries.

• READ MORE: Rob Edwards issues transfer update on Rav van den Berg as Middlesbrough brace for bids

Middlesbrough’s interest in other strikers including Danny Ings

At the end of last month, our transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey reported that Middlesbrough were looking at bringing two strikers in.

Earlier this summer EFL Analysis also revealed talks between Boro and free agent Danny Ings were underway.

The former Southampton striker was released by West Ham at the end of last season and has a wealth of experience in the second tier from his time at Burnley.

There are no indications that discussions have ceased; however, the finalisation of the move will all depend on whether the two parties can reach a suitable deal.

David Strelec is another number nine Boro are keen on, with the 24-year-old Slovan Bratislava star being a younger alternative to 33-year-old Ings.

Middlesbrough are set to pocket £11.2million for Rav van den Berg, which will help their pursuit of additional front men.