The Whites are reportedly interested in the talented teenage centre-forward ahead of the summer.
Leeds United had already been connected to a new signing ahead of the summer transfer window, which closed at the beginning of this month.
Leeds, Ipswich Town, and Stoke City are reportedly just three of the numerous teams expressing interest in the 18-year-old number nine.
It says they had been monitoring his performances after being impressed by his outstanding play while on loan at Alloa in Scotland’s League One.
If Daniel Farke prevails in the rush to recruit the prolific young marksman as a long-term addition to his squad, he may have his ideal replacement for Patrick Bamford.
Patrick Bamford’s form this season
The former England international had a challenging first half of the season and performed quite well in 2024, but he has had mixed results on the pitch this year.
In his first 16 Championship games this season, Bamford has not contributed a goal or an assist for his team; instead, players like Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe have maintained their spots in the starting lineup.
Nevertheless, the 30-year-old striker has made nine appearances for the Whites in 2024 and has helped out with two assists and five goals across all competitions.
This indicates a significant improvement in his play from the first half of the season, as the seasoned forward has consistently posed a threat in front of goal this year.
The 31-year-old forward, a former Chelsea prospect, has made 176 appearances for Leeds and scored 56 goals. The Whites head coach may already be considering what the attacker’s post-Elland Road life would include.
Why Wales could be Bamford’s long-term heir
By signing Wales, Farke may find his successor apparent to Bamford’s spot in the starting lineup, since the youthful talent will turn 21 in the summer of 2026, when the Leeds striker’s contract expires.
If they win the race to sign him in the upcoming transfer window, the 18-year-old, who turns 19 in the summer, is a bright player who might develop further and earn more experience over the following couple of seasons before emerging as a first-team option for the club.
The young striker has already proven his worth in a senior setting, as the table above illustrates, scoring seven goals while on loan at Alloa in the third division of Scottish football.
Having scored two goals in two Challenge Cup games for Kilmarnock B at the beginning of the season, Wales has nine goals in 18 appearances in all competitions this season, or one goal every other match on average.
Curiously, he has scored seven goals in his last eight League One appearances for Alloa, indicating that his inconsistent form has been comparable to Bamford’s this season.
Given his age, potential, and goal-scoring ability, the Scotland U19 international—who appeared in ten Premiership games last season—has shown his remarkable ability to score goals at the first-team level at such a young age. For this reason, he may be the ideal successor to Leeds’ number nine.
Wales may arrive in the summer and choose to either stay and learn from players like Bamford and Piroe before, ideally, unseating the latter in the future, or they may move out on loan to continue their development.
