Following his return to Chelsea from his failed half-season loan spell at Burnley — his third consecutive one of the past 1.5 years — young Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford finds himself at a crossroads regarding his once highly promising career. Looking for a rebound, a return to greener pastures of his past might just be the best thing for him.
Patrick Bamford will have a medical at Middlesbrough today. Understand the deal is permanent, leaving #cfc after 5 years. #boro
— John Percy (@JPercyTelegraph) January 16, 2017
According to the Telegraph, Bamford will be undergoing a medical this morning before completing his, now permanent return to his former loan club Middlesbrough, with whom he was named Championship Player of the Year in 2014-15. The transfer fee is understood to be around £6m upfront, but includes plenty of add-ons that could push the price to around £10m.
Bamford had been at Chelsea since January 2012, joining on a £1.5m transfer from Nottingham Forest. Over the five years at the club, he went on loans to MK Dons, Derby County, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Burnley. He never recorded a single appearance for the first team, despite it being one of his major ambitions.
It is unfortunate to see how Bamford's career derailed from its initial course, but at least he seems to be doing the right choice to try to get it back on track by taking a step backwards and returning to the club and the manager who aided him the most. Hopefully at Boro, he can finally find success and firm Premier League footing.