Brighton Opinion: Jayden Bogle could be the ideal replacement for Bruno

According to The Sun, Brighton and Hove Albion are closing in on the signing of Derby County right-back Jayden Bogle for a fee of £10 million, with reports claiming that new manager Graham Potter is keen to bring the 18-year-old to the Amex Stadium this summer.

The Sun also understands that Brighton’s reserve goalkeeper Christian Walton, who was on loan at Wigan Athletic in the Championship this term, is likely to move to Pride Park on loan for the upcoming season as a part of the deal.

Bogle enjoyed a fantastic breakthrough season in Derby’s first team in the Championship this season and made a total of 50 appearances, as the Rams went all the way to the playoff finals, where they lost out to Aston Villa.

The 18-year-old contributed with as many as 2 goals and 9 assists in his debut season at the senior level and earned plenty of plaudits for his consistently impressive displays at right-back.

There is an air of fresh breath at the Amex Stadium following the dismissal of Chris Hughton and the appointment of former Swansea City manager Graham Potter at the helm of affairs. Brighton needed a change after a hugely disappointing campaign in the Premier League, where they barely managed to survive relegation, and the new manager has made his intentions very clear.

Bogle was one of the breakout stars in the second-tier last season and it is not difficult to see why the Seagulls are looking to get him on board this summer. Long-standing right-back Bruno Saltor has finally hung up his boots and his retirement has left Brighton short of cover at right-back, with Martin Montoya being the only senior option in that area of the pitch.

To put things into perspective, the Seagulls cannot afford to embark on the upcoming season with just a single right-back in their ranks and someone like Jayden Bogle, who showed signs of outgrowing the Championship in his debut season, could prove to be a handy addition to the squad.

Bogle’s metaphoric rise has taken the fans and the pundits by surprise and the 18-year-old’s fine performances in his debut season have earned him a call-up to England’s U-20 squad for the 2019 Toulon Tournament. He is seen as an exciting prospect for the future and landing him would certainly be a massive coup for Brighton.

Quick across the ground and strong on the tackle, Bogle is very much a modern-day offensive-minded flying full-back in the making. He never showed any signs of nervousness and was rarely overwhelmed by the reputation of the opposition in his very first season at the senior level, which earned him rave reviews for his big-game temperament.

Calm and composed in possession and accurate with his crossing, Bogle not only covers every blade of grass down the flanks but he is more than capable of contributing to both defence and attack. While he is adept at creating chances with his penchant for key passes in the final third, the 18-year-old has shown a level of maturity that belies his tender years, both in terms of reading of the game and decision-making.

The talented teenager averaged 2.6 tackles, 1.2 key passes and 2.3 successful long balls per game in the Championship this past season, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded abilities as a right-back.

He would probably play the role of an understudy to Martin Montoya if a move does materialize, but one would expect him to nail down a first-team spot sooner or later provided he continues his development at the same rate.

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All in all, Brighton could have an absolute gem on their hands if they manage to strike a deal for the highly-rated right-back this summer.