How much Wrexham AFC may have to spend on Patrick Bamford's wages if he signs from Leeds United | OneFootball

We looked at how much Wrexham may need to spend on wages if they sign striker Patrick Bamford from Leeds United this summer.

Wrexham are preparing for life in the Championship after securing an incredible third consecutive promotion.

Wrexham's remarkable rise under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney continued as they sealed automatic promotion from League One last weekend with a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic at the SToK Cae Ras.

The Red Dragons may still be celebrating their latest achievement, but attention is already turning to how they will perform in the second tier, and McElhenney dropped a big hint that the club will not be content to simply make up the numbers, writing on X: "If I’m being honest I don’t even know what the word "consolidation" means."

To underline McElhenney's claims, Sky Sports reported this week that Wrexham and fellow promoted side Birmingham City "are likely to be among the biggest spenders outside the Premier League" during the summer transfer window in their pursuit of top flight football.

The Red Dragons have already been linked with an ambitious move for Jamie Vardy, who is leaving Leicester City at the end of his contract this summer, and according to TEAMtalk, Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford is the latest high-profile name to emerge on their radar.

Wrexham plotting move for Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford

It is not the first time that Wrexham have been credited with an interest in Bamford as the Welsh outfit were said to be keen on the striker in the January transfer window, but a move did not materialise.

Bamford joined Leeds from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2018 for a reported fee of £7 million, rising to £10 million, and he was a prolific scorer during the early stages of his time at Elland Road, netting 16 goals in 47 games to help the club to the Championship title under Marcelo Bielsa in the 2019-20 season.

After scoring 17 goals in 38 games in the Whites' first year back in the Premier League the following season, Bamford was handed his senior England international debut in September 2021, but that marked the start of a decline in fortunes for the 31-year-old.

Aside from a brief purple patch in the second half of last season, it has been a frustrating few years for Bamford, and while injury issues have contributed to his plight, he has found himself largely out of favour at Leeds this season, with the likes of Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph preferred ahead of him.

Bamford does have another year left on his contract in West Yorkshire, but he is facing an uncertain future, particularly after the Whites sealed promotion back to the Premier League, and if he does become available, the door could be open for Wrexham to make a move.

As speculation continues to gather pace about Bamford's potential switch to the SToK Cae Ras, we looked at how much the Red Dragons may have to spend on his wages if he signed for the club.

How much Wrexham may need to spend on Patrick Bamford's wages

According to Capology, Bamford currently takes home £70,000 per week and £3,640,000 per year at Leeds, although it should be stressed that those figures are an estimate.

The Whites have one of the biggest wage bills in the Championship with an estimated weekly payroll of £707,500 and an annual payroll of £36,790,000, but Bamford is by far the club's highest-paid player.

Wrexham are believed to be preparing to spend big this summer ahead of their return to the second tier, and that means they will likely be offering significant wages in order to compete with other clubs in the transfer market, but Bamford would surely have to take a pay cut if he is to make the move to Wales.

However, the Red Dragons did manage to complete the signing of striker Jay Rodriguez from Burnley in January, and while his salary will have reduced at the SToK Cae Ras, he was estimated to be earning £40,000 per week and £2,080,000 per week at Turf Moor in the Premier League last season, which perhaps gives an indication of the level of salary Reynolds and McElhenney may be willing to pay Bamford.

The fact that the rumours linking Bamford with a move to Wrexham have emerged once again suggests that it may be more than mere speculation, and it will be intriguing to see if the club can reach an agreement with the striker over the coming months.