Chelsea FC make right decision selling Patrick Bamford to Middlesbrough
By Tarek Hisham
![By joshjdss (Millwall Vs Middlesbrough) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fd64c59a80ad58d63f6d1c7bf3d680535b958017f88386120e28ac03fef8affbc.jpg "By joshjdss (Millwall Vs Middlesbrough) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
Chelsea FC are ready to finally sell Patrick Bamford to Middlesbrough after the young forward spent five years with the Blues but never played for the club.
When Chelsea FC fans read that Patrick Bamford was recalled from a nightmare loan to fellow Premier League club Burnley, they assumed that the youngster would be sent on loan to another club.
He had only made six appearances for Burnley but he was rumored to be heading back on loan to Middlesbrough, a club he spent the 2014-15 season with in the Championship.
Bamford was incredibly successful with Boro during that season, scoring 19 goals in 44 appearances for the upwardly-mobile club and building a strong bond with manager Aitor Karanka. Karanka was a Mourinho assistant at Chelsea once upon a time and Boro was seen as a place where Chelsea loanees could thrive and that was certainly the case for Bamford.
So with the past success the two enjoyed together it was natural to assume that Karanka and Bamford would be reunited. In an unexpected move however, Chelsea FC agreed to sell of the young forward rather than loaning him out.
He will reportedly be sold for a £6 million fee with another potential £4 million in add ons if he meets certain criteria.
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The 23-year-old has been with other Premier League clubs as he spent time with Crystal Palace and Norwich City but was never given much of an opportunity to succeed. No manager in the top flight took a chance on him but in the Championship he was a revelation.
Bamford was the Championship Player of the Year in 2014-15 because of his success with Karanka and Middlesbrough and also had an excellent season with Derby County in 2013-14. He seemed to be on the verge of great things but a series of unsuccessful loans hindered his growth and development.
After seven loans in six years Bamford can finally call somewhere other than Chelsea FC home and with a manager that trusts him and believes in him to boot. The Blues made the right decision to sell him off and they make a tidy little profit to boot. Chelsea FC purchased the youngster from Nottingham Forest for £1.5 million in 2012 and will pocket some £8 million five years later.
With all of the players out on loan it can sometimes feel as if Chelsea FC is simply stockpiling talent for the sake of stockpiling it. They send their players all around Europe and beyond every transfer window with what appears to be no plan.
In Bamford’s case, the plan seemed to be that they hoped he would become a major talent and join the senior squad at some point. A talented English striker is hard to come by these days and Bamford could have been a valuable player for the Blues.
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It did not quite work out that way for Bamford and Chelsea FC but having made the decision to sell him the Blues have made the right move. They give him a chance to work in an environment and coach that will be good for his career and should he choose to return to Chelsea someday, the door will always be open.