Speaking on our Journo Insight Extra show, Jones told Paul Machin:
“Liverpool like him, Jurgen Klopp likes him, he’s on the record as saying he likes him before the game back in April. He said he was in the car listening to TalkSport, hearing them all slagging off Bamford and he thought ‘what are they taking about?’ and he said he was delighted to see him proving those people wrong.”
Jones went on to explain Liverpool’s enquiry and how it didn’t really get very far with Bamford.
“Liverpool more sensed an opportunity. He was coming towards the final year of his contract [so Liverpool’s recruitment team thought] ‘he’s done well, the manager likes him, what would be the price, let’s have a little look, can we have a little enquiry?’.
I think it didn’t go particularly far and what I’m told, Bamford was sort like ‘I’m already signing a contract at Leeds, I’ve been at Chelsea for God knows how many years on God knows how many loans, I’m not really keen on getting put in that spin cycle again.”
However, it also makes sense why the player didn’t fancy the move either given how few opportunities he was afforded at Chelsea.
Whilst some players, like Diogo Jota, have happily left other Premier League clubs knowing they’d face a battle to play games, others like Bamford can have different mentalities.
Given how he didn’t fancy such a battle, Liverpool won’t feel like they’ve really missed out on Bamford as Klopp would only want players who are willing to back themselves in order to earn a regular first-team place.
Written by Ross Chandley
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