Former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan believes Patrick Bamford is going nowhere this summer, but insists the Whites must strengthen their squad by adding to their striking options.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men were unceremoniously knocked out of the Championship playoff semi-finals by Derby County following a dramatic second leg at Elland Road on Wednesday night.  

 



The Whites allowed the visitors to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, as Derby secured a 4-2 win on the night to book their meeting with Aston Villa in the playoff final at Wembley.

And following their exit, Whelan insists that Leeds must focus on strengthening their squad by adding to their current strikers during the summer transfer window.
 


The former Leeds forward also believes that Bamford will not be leaving Elland Road soon, as he does not feel the ex-Middlesbrough man did enough this season to cause other clubs to want him.



“Well I don’t think he is going to be going anywhere soon, I’d put it that way”, Whelan said on BBC Radio Leeds' Noel Whelan Show.

“He’s got a long contract and he didn’t do enough this season for anyone to go, ‘yeah, we want him’.
 

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“So he’s at Leeds [next season], simple as that.

“We still need to strengthen in that forward position, there’s not a lot of strikers at the club, simple as that."

And Whelan feels Leeds need to sign two more strikers to go with Kemar Roofe and Bamford.

“Sheffield United [have] four, you look at other clubs, four.

"You need four at least, minimum.”

It is unclear what level of transfer funds Leeds will have to play with in the summer, but they will have to deal with the transfer window closing before the season starts after the EFL changed its rules.