Could Norwich City bring back Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford for the upcoming Championship season? I think they could.
Bamford signed on loan from Chelsea in January but failed to make much of an impact in Norfolk, starting just twice and failing to score a single goal. However, injuries did prevent him getting more time on the pitch.
The striker joined Norwich with the club in a very difficult predicament and left with the club relegated back down to the Championship after just one season in the Premier League. Bamford didn’t look ready for the Championship when he played, but neither did Norwich.
If he didn’t realise it before, Bamford has surely realised now that he isn’t going to make the grade at Chelsea. He is one loan move to Vitesee away from becoming another young player that Chelsea have stunted the development/career of – he has to move on in the summer.
With Antonio Conte coming in at Chelsea he is expected to be given a large transfer budget to sign new players, meaning Bamford is likely to fall even further down the pecking order. This summer he is likely to move on for good from Chelsea.
Bamford has already proven himself in the Championship; he scored goals for Derby and Middlesbrough on a regular basis at that level. He also won the Championship player of the year award at Middlesbrough in the 2014/15 campaign, so Norwich know what he is capable of.
The striker may not have shown himself to be Premier League class during his loan spell, but at 22-years-old he has plenty of time to develop into a Premier League striker. Moving to Norwich on a permanent deal could be the best way for him to do this.
Moving away from Chelsea is the only way he is going to develop, because his attitude isn’t right at the moment. He needs to know that he has to work hard for his chance in the Premier League and signing for a Championship club would be the best way to do this.
He is bound to work much harder and improve faster if he joins Norwich on a permanent next season as he will be desperate to score the goals that send Norwich straight back up so he can have another shot at the big time. This will stop him lingering around out on loan feeding off the tiny scraps of promise that Chelsea offer him.
I think we would be far better off having Bamford up front than Cameron Jerome next season. Yes, Jerome scored 18 goals in his last Championship season – but his overall Championship record is not that good and he isn’t a player who is guaranteed goals because he hasn’t got the ability. However, everyone can see that Bamford has the ability, he just needs to get his attitude right. Also, Jerome will be 30 this summer, whereas Bamford will be just 22. Bamford has far more room for improvement and could become a top-class player for Norwich in the future.
But the question is also whether Norwich could afford him. Chelsea are likely to want around £5-7m for the forward and that fee is rather large for a team in the Championship. This means it could come down to whether the board are willing to go the extra mile for progression…
In conclusion, I think there is a very good chance that he could return next season. If he does, I also believe that he would be a fantastic signing and a very important player for the upcoming Championship campaign.
