Aston Villa youngster Lamare Bogarde has reportedly attracted interest from Southampton, but we’re said to not be willing to let him leave on a permanent basis.
The versatile 19-year-old is under contract with Villa until June 2025, and while he has featured regularly at U21s level and impressed, he was also involved in our pre-season friendly against Walsall last month.
Sign up for the Talk Villa newsletter, a free weekly Villa round-up delivered straight to you!
While he didn’t make the 26-man squad to tour the USA, it’s felt as though the talented youngster has a bright future ahead of him, having also been capped through the age groups up to U20s level for the Netherlands.
Villa boss Unai Emery faces a decision over his future this summer though, as Football Transfers report that Southampton are considering Bogarde as a potential option to help fill the void left behind by Romeo Lavia if he moves on.
However, importantly it’s also added that Villa aren’t willing to green light a permanent move and are only open to a loan switch for now, and so time will tell if the two clubs are able to reach a compromise.
Bogarde’s versatility allows him to play both as a centre-half or right-back as well as in a defensive midfield role, and so he could be a useful option to have in the Villa squad this season as we look to compete on multiple fronts and need depth to have adequate cover.
That said, at 19 years of age and given the talent that he has, it would surely be more beneficial for his development and long-term career to go out on loan again, given he is likely to play a very limited role and may struggle to get any minutes at all for Villa this year with the competition already in the squad in those areas.
The decision to leave him out of the travelling squad last month was an indication that a loan stint elsewhere is the likely outcome. Provided the report above is accurate, the idea that we don’t want to move him on permanently would suggest that he’s highly rated, and it’s hoped that a year in the Championship could help him kick on like it did for the likes of Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey last season.
