Credit: Imago, Hasan Karim – Breaking Media
Sun 26 April 2026 13:30, UK
Aston Villa worked hard to keep hold of midfielder Lamare Bogarde during the recent January transfer window.
The 22-year-old was attracting interest from Brighton, who had earmarked him as a player capable of developing into a star in the Premier League, but the Villans made it clear that they had little intention of selling him.
The former Feyenoord academy starlet has become a fully-fledged first-team player under Unai Emery this season, but he has still had to be patient when it comes to waiting for his chances in the Premier League.
Starts have been few and far between in the league for Bogarde since the start of the campaign, but he earned a rare opportunity to impress in the 1-0 defeat away at Fulham on Saturday.
Aston Villa’s transfer plans are set to see them try to strengthen their squad again in the summer, and the writing could be on the wall for Bogarde after his latest display.
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Lamare Bogarde fails to impress as upgrade could be on the cards
Football Insider revealed back in January that there was “no chance” of Villa allowing Bogarde to leave during the mid-season window, but it could be a totally different story this summer.
He has found it hard to break past the likes of Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana in recent months, and he failed to take a rare chance to start at Craven Cottage.
StatsBogarde vs FulhamMinutes74Accurate Passes28/29 (97%)Chances Created–Defensive Contributions2Tackles1Duels Won1/6 (17%)Bogarde’s stats in the defeat to Fulham, as per Fotmob.
Bogarde failed to create a chance during his 74 minutes of action, and also lost 83 per cent of his duels as Fulham got the better of Emery’s men in the middle of the park.
That was just his ninth league start of the season, and Villa have now lost in five of their last six Premier League games where he has featured from the off.
That run of form is as clear an indication as any that the second city outfit are a weaker team when Bogarde is on the pitch, and Emery will have no intention for him to head into next term weaker than in 2025-26.
With that in mind, his recent form could be enough for the club to decide to go back on their previous plan to hold onto him for the long-term, and they could potentially instead look to sell him this summer.
Bogarde could yet see Aston Villa midfield competition loosen this summer
Football Insider revealed on Sunday that Everton have their eyes on John McGinn again, after previously showing an interest in the Scottish international ahead of the January window.
David Moyes is a big fan of the 31-year-old, and it is possible that Villa could be a little more receptive to the idea of selling him in the summer rather than in the middle of the campaign.
McGinn has often operated on the wing this term, but any departure for him ahead of next term would also see one less obstacle for Bogarde to overcome in the midfield pecking order.
He needs more football if he is to truly progress, but there could still be a chance that he gets that opportunity at Villa Park in 2026-27.
Emery will have a big decision to make on the youngster’s future at the end of the season, and it could hinge on whether he feels there is more to come from him than what he has seen of late.
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