Why Derby County should hold on to Jayden Bogle amidst Burnley links

According to a report from The Athletic, as relayed by the Derbyshire Live, Derby County right-back Jayden Bogle has emerged as a transfer target for Premier League outfit Burnley. 

The report adds that Clarets boss Sean Dyche is on the lookout for a new right-back when the transfer window reopens in January and Bogle has been identified as a potential target.

The 19-year-old earned rave reviews for his consistently impressive displays in his debut season at Pride Park last term as the Rams went all the way through to the playoff finals under the stewardship of Frank Lampard.

Born in Reading, Bogle started his footballing education at Swindon Town before completing a move to Derby County back in 2016. The talented starlet initially impressed for the U-23s at the Premier League 2 level before being promoted to the first-team ranks by former Rams boss Lampard prior to the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

Bogle quickly established himself as a regular fixture in the playing eleven following his senior breakthrough and finished the previous campaign with an impressive tally of 2 goals and 9 assists in 43 appearances in the Championship. 

The England U-20 international is yet to reach the same heights in the ongoing campaign as he did last season, with injuries somewhat stalling his unprecedented rise. Nevertheless, Bogle has once again caught the eye this term, clocking up 15 league appearances under Phillip Cocu and registering 3 assists in the process. 

Currently placed 16th in the standings, Derby County have struggled to mount a serious push for the playoffs this term but Bogle has once again been a definite bright spark. The 19-year-old missed a few games in August but he has started each of the club’s last twelve games in the Championship and that looks set to continue in the coming months. 

However, if the recent transfer development is anything to go by, Cocu could face a real fight in his efforts to retain the services of Bogle beyond January, with Burnley currently mulling over a move for the highly-rated academy prospect.

To put things into perspective, Jayden Bogle continues to be a fine young player in the making and it should be an absolute no-brainer for the Rams to snub any approaches for the right-back during the mid-season trading period in January. 

As per Whoscored, the 19-year-old has 1.4 tackles, 1,5 interceptions. 1.6 clearances, 1.3 dribbles, 0.8 key passes and 2.1 long balls per game in the Championship this term, figures which lie testament to his well-rounded attributes as a modern-day attacking full-back. 

Bogle, of course, is still very much a work in progress at 19 but he already boasts of an impressive CV for a player of his age, having racked up more than 50 league appearances for a promotion-chasing club in the second-tier. 

That he has featured as a regular starter in the Championship ever since making his professional bow last season is indicative of a level of maturity that belies his tender years, and Bogle is only going to get better with time as his career wears on. 

Verdict

Besides his obvious quality at both ends of the pitch, it is imperative to point out that Bogle has never looked intimidated in front of several more accomplished players at this level, while his ability to learn quickly from his mistakes and the desire to compete at the highest level have also contributed immensely to his rapid progress.

Looking at Derby’s current squad in the Championship, the Rams don’t really have too much cover at right-back beyond Bogle, with former Liverpool starlet Andre Wisdom the only specialist back-up in that position. Max Lowe, essentially a left-back by trade, has filled in occasionally on the right but Bogle continues to be the undisputed go-to man for Cocu.

To that end, it is easy to see why the 19-year-old is such a key component of the club’s playing XI in the Championship and losing him midway through the campaign would certainly deal a massive blow to their hopes of climbing up the table in the coming months.

The Rams lost prized academy star Jeff Hendrick to Burnley a few years ago and the Irishman’s resounding success at Turf Moor has surely made his departure a bitter pill to swallow for the Pride Park faithful. 

The current situation surrounding Bogle is reminiscent of Burnley’s raid on Derby for Hendrick back in the summer of 2016 and the Rams could once again be left red-faced if the 19-year-old goes on to fulfill his potential elsewhere.

More Derby County News

• Why Derby County should line up a January move for Lyndon Dykes
• Why Derby County should complete a January swoop for Scott Sinclair
• Why Derby County should go all out for Armand Gnanduillet in January

Having said that, Derby County should leave no stone unturned in their efforts to keep Jayden Bogle at the club for the foreseeable future as they look to push on for greater heights under the stewardship of Cocu following a disappointing start.