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I think the vast majority of us knew this was coming, but MK Dons have confirmed that Patrick Bamford's loan will not be extended for the remainder of the 2013/14 season. The forward will be available for selection until the conclusion of this weekend's game, at which point he'll be leaving the club.
Manager Karl Robinson had nothing but good things to say about Bamford:
"Wigan is going to be (Patrick’s) last game. The boy’s disappointed, we’re disappointed but you’ve got to be respectful to Chelsea. It’s not a case of anything we’ve done wrong, instead Chelsea has thanked us for everything we’ve done and they’ve said they couldn’t have wished for the loan deal to go any better."
"I do believe there are four or five top Championship clubs vying for his signature to try and strengthen for the back end of the season. If I was a Championship manager, I would be going for Patrick and if I was Chelsea I would probably want to see him challenged at the next level."
"Whoever does get his signature will be getting a very, very talented footballer. We wish him luck, he’s a wonderful boy and he’s somebody who I’ll always stay in contact with and one day, hopefully work with again."
"I do wish him all the luck in the world and I want the fans to give him a tremendous send off on Wednesday and then on Saturday for those who travel to Wigan. This is a decision that’s not been made by him, it’s been made by his Club for the benefit of his career."
"Lastly, I want to say thank you to Chelsea, Neil Bath, Eddie Newton and Tore Andre Flo for giving us the opportunity to working with Patrick."
All told, the lower division side was a great fit for Bamford, and most of us should have nothing but good things to say about the way they handled the youngster. He ended up with plenty of chances to prove himself despite some early injury concerns, and looks to be a considerably better player now than he was when he first arrived.
Best of luck to MK Dons with the remainder of their season, and hopefully Bamford's next loan spell goes just as well as his first. I'd expect we'll hear confirmation of that destination soon.
