Patrick Bamford to extend Middlesbrough stay

Patrick Bamford will remain at Middlesbrough through the close of the season, the Championship club has announced on their website. Originally on loan until January, the striker has been on fire for the better part of two months, and with Boro chasing for promotion to the Premier League, I'd have imagined that keeping him around rather than returning to Chelsea was a major priority for Aitor Karanka and friends.

Indeed, the manager seems rather happy with the extension:

He loves to be here, we love him here, the squad wants him here and the crowd loves him. He's a very good player. I wanted him in the first month of when I arrived here. He’s playing as a striker, he’s supported us a lot, and he’s played for the team and thinks about his team and his team-mates. He is an important player.

He's a young lad, he has to improve and he has to learn, but he understands the team is the main thing and he wants to be a part of it.

Obviously this is good news for Bamford, who's very settled in the Northeast and is both getting playing time and making the most of it. Boro are helping him develop as a player; he's helping Boro get better results, and everyone is happy. See you this summer, Patrick!