PATRICK Bamford has completed his £7m move to Leeds United from Middlesbrough.

Leeds have made their most expensive signing in almost 17 years by persuading Boro to part with a player who had been expected to play a big part for Tony Pulis next season.

Bamford has signed a four-year contract after undergoing a medical and Middlesbrough were happy with the offer which could rise to £10m.

Leeds decided to opt for Bamford following a failure to strike a deal for free agent Abel Hernandez and Derby County’s Matej Vydra.

Bamford won the Championship’s player of the year award after initially joining Middlesbrough on loan in 2015. After returning permanently in January last year, he hit 13 goals to help Boro to the play-off semi-final, including a hat-trick against Leeds at the Riverside in March.

Now Middlesbrough are looking to use the cash to fund a move for Ipswich's Martyn Waghorn. 

Bamford began his career at Nottingham Forest and made two substitute appearances before being signed by Chelsea aged 18 for £1.5million in January 2012. He failed to make a first-team appearance at Chelsea and had loan spells at MK Dons, Derby, Boro, Crystal Palace, Norwich and Burnley.

Leeds, who appointed former Argentina and Chile boss Marcelo Bielsa in June, signed Jack Harrison on loan from Manchester City on Monday having added defender Barry Douglas from Wolves for an undisclosed fee over the weekend.

Chelsea pair Lewis Baker and goalkeeper Jamal Blackman both arrived on season-long loan deals earlier this month.

Harrison, Baker and Blackman have all played on loan for Middlesbrough.

Bamford said: "I’ve been needing to play up front and wanting to be the main man somewhere for a long time and Leeds have offered me that opportunity so it really is something I grabbed with both hands.

“I’ve come here to help this club back into the Premier League and that has to be the aim for everybody. It means a lot that they’ve put their trust in me - the manager’s put his trust in me and the club’s put their trust in me.

“So I hope to be able to repay them. I think it’s going to be a good season.”