“There was some talk last season January about Forest being semi keen on him”- Journalist confirms Forest’s interest in re-signing Leeds striker

An England international with 24 Premier League goals is on the radar of Nottingham Forest.

The Garibaldi would appear to be on the lookout for cheaper options this summer after a brush with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) last season – so we would not expect more deals like the £30m signing of Ibrahim Sangare to materialise.

An update from Phil Hay of The Athletic claims that Leeds United No.9 Patrick Bamford has been on Nottingham Forest’s radar in 2024 – and in our view, the City Ground cannot be ruled out as a landing spot for the England international this summer.

The Grantham-born striker faces an uncertain pre-season after the Whites failed to win an immediate return to the Premier League and some financial relief as well, with his £70,000-a-week salary ideally being removed from the wage bill at Elland Road.

The respected journalist told The Square Ball podcast: “For Bamford it’s a little bit more difficult, partly because his wages will be high, so it’s not like it’s a salary that Championship clubs can easily pick up.

“There was some talk last season January about Forest being semi keen on Bamford, but I don’t know how much interest there would be in the Premier League as a whole at the moment.”

Of course, only the January window is mentioned by Hay, but with Nottingham Forest open to offers for Taiwo Awoniyi – and Chris Wood turning 33 in December – we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Reds take action if Leeds United offered clubs the chance to sign Bamford for a bargain fee, just to get rid of his wages.

England international could push for the move

Bamford endured a tough time at Elland Road last season with just eight goals in 33 Championship appearances – after the end of the 2022/23 campaign saw him suffer some horrific abuse from Leeds United fans.

Therefore, the 30-year-old may choose to return to familiar surroundings and be closer to home, which is, in fact, Nottingham for the man who graduated from the Garibaldi’s academy in 2011.

Bamford joined Nottingham Forest at the age of eight in 2001 before Chelsea snapped him up in a £1.5m deal back in 2012. Of course, some readers might be asking why Nuno Espirito Santo would want to sign a player who only scored eight Championship goals last season, but we shouldn’t forget how effective Bamford can be when used properly.

The Englishman has netted 24 Premier League goals in total throughout his career, with 17 of those coming in the 2020/21 campaign after Marcelo Bielsa found a way to utilise him.

Be sure to keep an eye on Bamford’s situation, as we wouldn’t be surprised to see Nottingham Forest make a move this summer.