£4 Million-Rated Nephew Of UCL Winner Linked With Leicester City:

Leicester City are keeping tabs on Hoffenheim’s young defender Melayro Bogarde who is out of contract at the end of the season, according to reports.

Bogarde rose to prominence back in 2019 with The Netherlands’ U17s side which were victorious in the UEFA European U17 Championship in the Republic of Ireland. Players such as Leeds United star Sam Greenwood, Kenneth Taylor and Brian Brobbey also starred in that tournament for their respective countries.

Less than a year later, Bogarde had made his debut for Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, having moved to the German club from Eredivisie giants Feyenoord two seasons prior.

However, Bogarde’s career hasn’t gone to plan at the moment. The young defender was sent out on loan Groningen and PEC Zwolle in his home country, having made merely 11 appearances for Hoffenheim.

Since returning from his loan spell in the summer, Bogarde has failed to make a single appearance with the club and is out of contract at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, with Leicester City preparing to swoop for his signature.

This is according to Dutch outlet Voetbal Primeur, via Football Oranje, who are claiming that the Foxes are keen to sign Bogarde at the end of the season, although Enzo Maresca’s side face competition from Serie A side Bologna who are doing incredibly well this season in the Italian top-flight.

Bogarde is the brother of Bristol Rovers loanee Lamare Bogarde and the nephew of the former Chelsea, Ajax and Barcelona star Winston Bogarde, who won the UEFA Champions League in 1995 with Ajax under Louis van Gaal.

The CIES Football Observatory have placed Bogarde’s market value as £4 million, although the former Premier League side could sign the 21-year-old for free at the end of the season.

Writer’s View

Having watched Bogarde in person several times during the U17 Euros in Ireland, Leicester City would be getting a superb player with a very high ceiling but someone who has been starved of first-team football in recent months.

Bogarde was one of the stars of that tournament and while his career hasn’t gone as well as he’d hoped so far, Maresca may be able to get the best out of him at the King Power Stadium.