Barcelona are reportedly eyeing a move for TSG Hoffenheim starlet Melayro Bogarde, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
According to kicker, Barcelona are among clubs keeping an eye on Melayro Bogarde. The TSG Hoffenheim youngster has attracted a lot of attention, primarily due to his contract that expires at the end of the campaign. There has been no sign of a potential extension, putting several clubs across Europe on red alert.
As such, Barcelona are joined by AC Milan in the pursuit of Bogarde. The Catalan giants do have the upper hand given the fact that their current assistant coach Alfred Schreuder used to be the head coach of Hoffenheim not long ago and the Dutchman has worked with the player during their time together in Sinsheim.
Bogarde himself is highly rated by the current Hoffenheim coach in Sebastian Hoeness. Although a centre-back by trade, the ex-Bayern Munich youth coach is particularly fond of the player’s versatility as he has the potential of playing in the number six or even in the number eight role. In fact, midfield seems to be a more natural position for the youngster, who is destined for success.
As far as his ongoing journey at Hoffenheim is concerned, Bogarde has only featured in three league games this season. But, he has been an option on the bench for 12 out of the 14 matches so far, meaning the Dutchman is indeed considered as the primary alternative for the likes of Stefan Posch, Kevin Vogt and Kevin Agpoguma.
For Barcelona, their desire to secure the services of Bogarde makes sense given their lack of defensive options. In addition, the Catalans are slowly but surely preparing themselves for life without Gerard Pique, who is nearing the final phase of his career.
The potential arrival of someone like Bogarde could thus add some healthy competition for the likes of Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza. But, what makes the Dutchman such an appealing target for Barcelona is his versatility as he can also be groomed into a number six. It could be useful given the fact that both Miralem Pjanic and Sergio Busquets are on the wrong side of their 30s.
Additionally, Bogarde’s ability to operate at right-back would also make him a potential alternative for the likes of Sergino Dest and Sergi Roberto. And with the player likely to be available on a Bosman transfer, it is an ideal opportunity for Barcelona to truly bag a bargain. They could even have the upper hand in the negotiation due to Schreuder, so it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga pans out within the next few weeks.
