Melayro Bogarde, a young defender for Hoffenheim whose contract expires at the end of the current campaign, is being watched by Leicester City, according to sources.
Bogarde gained recognition in 2019 with the Netherlands’ U17s, winning the UEFA European U17 Championship alongside players like Sam Greenwood, Kenneth Taylor, and Brian Brobbey. Shortly after, he made his Bundesliga debut for Hoffenheim, having transferred from Feyenoord two seasons earlier.
However, Bogarde’s career took an unexpected turn. He was loaned to Groningen and PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands, making only 11 appearances for Hoffenheim. Following his return from the loan spell, he hasn’t played for the club and is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2023/24 season. Leicester City is reportedly interested in signing him, facing competition from Serie A side Bologna.
Bogarde, the brother of Bristol Rovers’ Lamare Bogarde and the nephew of former Chelsea, Ajax, and Barcelona star Winston Bogarde, has a market value of £4 million according to CIES Football Observatory. Leicester City has the opportunity to acquire the 21-year-old for free at the season’s end.
In the writer’s view, having witnessed Bogarde’s talent during the U17 Euros, Leicester City could potentially gain a highly promising player with untapped potential, provided he gets the chance for regular first-team action under Enzo Maresca at the King Power Stadium.
