Sridhar Bhamidi
It looks like Manchester United and Chelsea have decided to stay together through the summer transfer window. United tracked, bid and tried to sign Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid who eventually ended up at Chelsea. The Blues were primed to land Romelu Lukaku from Everton only to see the Belgian join the Red Devils instead.
Now that we have signed Nemanja Matic from the Blues, you can add another name to this list, although it is that of a teenager.
Reports from The Guardian indicate that Manchester United and Chelsea are keeping tabs on Dutch prodigy Melayro Bogarde. The 15-year-old is a nephew of former Chelsea defender Winston Bogarde, although the links end there.
Melayro is currently with Eredivisie club Feyenoord but the youngster is a free agent until he turns 16 next May. Not just United and Chelsea, even Manchester City and Liverpool were interested in the defender and were intensively scouting him.
Our Dutch scout, Henny de Regt, has watched Bogarde closely several times and is in constant touch with Nicky Butt, the head of United’s academy.
The promising youngster will next take part for Feyenoord in an Under-17 tournament in the Netherlands in August. It is understood that this competition scheduled to be staged at Tiel will have all the afore mentioned clubs’ scouts having a look at Bogarde.
Bogarde Won’t Be Alone At United
United have a strong Dutch contingent at Old Trafford as Daley Blind and Timothy Fosu-Mensah will ensure a homely presence for him. Even in the academy, he would have his countryman Tahith Chong for support, which should make it easier for him when it comes to decision-making.
A Strong Talent For The Future
Bogarde has one of the rare qualities that you love in a modern defender – ball-playing skills. He is often compared to John Stones although it is too early to come up with any similarities. He is a technically accomplished defender for someone so young and at 6ft 1in, Bogarde is one for the future. Let’s hope we snare him just the way we added Fosu-Mensah and Chong in recent years from the Netherlands.
