Aston Villa could reportedly have a decision to make on Lamare Bogarde amid growing interest in acquiring him on loan for the rest of the season.
The 21-year-old is highly-rated by Unai Emery, as he has been a consistent figure in the first-team squad this season, albeit he has been limited to just seven appearances across all competitions.
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Nonetheless, the Villa boss showed real faith in him this weekend as he brought him on in our draw with Arsenal, and the Dutchman didn’t disappoint as he impressed in the midfield pivot and played his part in helping us launch a comeback to secure a hard-fought point.
However, Villa do seemingly now face a crucial decision on his short-term future, as Fabrizio Romano reports that Hoffenheim and several Championship clubs have enquired about Bogarde’s availability on loan, but as things stand, Villa and Emery are not open to the idea of letting him leave temporarily.
Given how useful he proved to be this weekend, that stance is understandable, and perhaps Bogarde can use his impressive shift at the Emirates as a foundation to start building towards having a bigger role between now and the end of the season.
That said, Villa have to weigh that up with the benefits of him playing consistently elsewhere which would help his development and maturity as he’ll gain valuable experience, and so long term, that could prove to be the more beneficial option for all concerned.
If Emery feels as though Bogarde will get decent minutes with us and will be an important squad member for the remainder of the campaign, then it’s hoped that we dismiss these touted loan approaches and keep a strong group together.
With Villa still competing for a top-four finish in the Premier League, in the Champions League and FA Cup, we certainly need depth and cover, and with Bogarde possessing the versatility to play either in defence or midfield, he could be an important bench option who is worth keeping around as opposed to being loaned out.