Harry Kane is all set to be the transfer maker of the summer based on the speculation around his Tottenham Hotspur future and Leeds United are braced for any chain reaction.
The England captain is reportedly set on leaving his boyhood club this summer with a move abroad not currently to his taste.
Whether it’s in Manchester, Liverpool or the capital, if Kane does somehow find a way for Daniel Levy to sell him, Spurs are going to need a replacement, if not two strikers.
It does not take anyone long, with a rudimentary scan of the Premier League’s stats tables, to see Patrick Bamford would be an option for any club looking for a top-flight striker.
The 27-year-old ended the campaign as the joint-fourth highest scoring player in the entire division, with Kane the only Englishman ahead of him.
Throw in seven assists too and you have a centre forward who has proven, at least for one season, he is capable of holding his own at this level.
It’s far too early for any reports seriously linking Spurs with any prospective Kane replacements, given how reticent the London club are to sell, but should the forward’s exit trigger a search, Victor Orta is ensuring the Whites are protected.
On the record, Bamford’s contract is due to expire in a little over one year which, in theory, makes United vulnerable to offers for a player who would leave for nothing in 2022.
However, while there has been no announcement as yet, it is understood there is little cause for concern around Bamford’s future with Leeds.
The club is very happy with him, he is very happy with Leeds and the conversations being had privately between the parties means a new deal is virtually in place for the striker, thus sending a clear message to any prospective suitors.
