PATRICK BAMFORD has rejected advances from both Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, and informed Chelsea officials that he wants to fight for a first-team place at Stamford Bridge next season.

Having scored 17 Championship goals while on loan at Middlesbrough last term, Bamford finds himself as one of the most in-demand players in the country this summer.

Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren identified the 21-year-old as one of his key attacking targets when he discussed transfer issues with Lee Charnley and Graham Carr at the start of his St James’ Park reign, and both the Chelsea hierarchy and Bamford’s representatives are aware of the Magpies’ interest.

Aitor Karanka would love to have Bamford back at the Riverside for a second successive loan spell, and while the Boro head coach accepts it is unlikely the striker will find himself back in the Championship next season, his close relationship with Jose Mourinho means that such a scenario cannot be completely ruled out.

However, while Bamford is concerned about a potential lack of action at Stamford Bridge, he has spelled out a desire to spend the pre-season programme fighting for a place in Chelsea’s first-team squad.

He will report for the start of training next month anticipating being part of the Chelsea squad that will travel to the United States for a pre-season tour, and will then sit down with Jose Mourinho to discuss his plans for the first half of next season.

He is about to enter the final year of his current deal, and while Chelsea have offered him a lucrative five-year contract, he is reluctant to commit unless he receives a clear indication that he is part of Mourinho’s plans.

Radamel Falcao’s impending arrival from Monaco means that Mourinho boasts Diego Costa and Loic Remy as well as the Colombia international, and the Chelsea boss is not usually someone who likes to rotate his way through a large number of forwards.

However, with Remy understood to be increasingly unsettled amid interest from West Ham, Everton and Crystal Palace, sources close to Bamford claim the youngster believes there is a genuine chance of him spending next season as Chelsea’s second or third-choice centre-forward.

He would rather do that than move to another top-flight club on loan for the season, although he will still be willing to consider a switch if pre-season ends with him on the periphery of Mourinho’s plans.

At this stage, he has no interest in holding talks with Newcastle officials, a stance that is a blow to the Magpies’ hopes of stealing a march on their rivals and sealing an early deal.

McClaren knows Bamford well from the pair’s time together at Derby County, and while their relationship became strained when the former Rams boss repeatedly played the striker out of position on the left wing, he had hoped that a face-to-face meeting could help repair any lingering damage.

That will now not happen until mid-August at the earliest, and while Newcastle are hoping to sign two forwards this summer, they will not want to wait until the final days of the transfer window to bring their business to fruition.

QPR striker Charlie Austin remains a leading target, even though his London employers are stubbornly refusing to budge on their £20m valuation of the forward, while there has also been a significant amount of contact with German club Wolfsburg about their £12m-rated front man Bas Dost.

Dost, who scored 20 Bundesliga goals last season, is expected to leave Wolfsburg once the transfer window officially reopens, but Newcastle’s hopes of luring him to Tyneside could be scuppered by competing interest from Borussia Dortmund, who are looking to sell Italy international Ciro Immobile this summer.

Newcastle had considered a move for free agent Andre-Pierre Gignac, who left Marseille at the end of last season, but the Frenchman has completed a surprise move to Mexican side UANL Tigres.