Brendan Rodgers called Leicester City star the 'new Mascherano' - Derby County now want him | OneFootball

Derby County target Hamza Choudhury was compared to Liverpool and Barcelona legend Javier Mascherano by Brendan Rodgers

Derby County have registered interest in Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury, as the transfer window nears its closure.

The Rams are looking to prise the Leicester academy graduate away from the King Power Stadium. Choudhury never nailed down a consistent starting role at the club, playing sporadically and even being loaned out to Championship sides in each of their last two Premier League seasons.

However, Choudhury was a very useful squad player who could play in numerous different positions, whether that be in midfield or in defence. Indeed, he played at right-back in all three of Sheffield United's play-off games in the 2024/25 campaign.

That versatility is a big positive for any manager, and it garnered the 28-year-old a special nickname from former Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers.

Why Brendan Rodgers called Hamza Choudhury Leicester City's Javier Mascherano in January 2022

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Midway through the 2021/22 campaign, the most recent season which didn't end in promotion or relegation at the King Power, Choudhury was, again, a sporadic squad player. His substitute appearance in a 6-3 defeat against Manchester City on Boxing Day was just his second league game of the year.

However, after Timothy Castagne was ruled out of their FA Cup third-round clash against Watford, then-Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers made the decision to play Choudury at centre-back.

While not as high-profile as Barcelona in the 2010/11 campaign, the lack of defensive availability mirrored the Spanish giants at Leicester at the time. Then, Pep Guardiola chose to drop defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano into the backline, with Carles Puyol, Eric Abidal and Gerard Piqué all out.

Rodgers replicated that decision by putting a defensive midfielder in at centre-back for the cup tie, and Choudhury performed very well. He made nine defensive contributions, including one last-ditch tackle and one clearance off the line, as the Foxes won 4-1.

"Tim had to come out, so I called Hamza last night to say he was going to be the new Mascherano," the Leicester boss said after the game. "He was Mascherano — the Leicester version!

"He was incredible, his speed and passing. The game was all in front of him and his recovery was phenomenal."

Hamza Choudhury didn't play much more at centre-back for Leicester City

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While Mascherano would go on to play the majority of the rest of his Barcelona career as a centre-back, the same couldn't be said about Choudhury, who hardly played for the rest of the season once players came back off the injury list.

He played in the backline against Tottenham Hotspur the week after in a 3-2 defeat, and his only other start for the rest of the campaign came against Leeds United in March.

Overall, Choudhury made just five Premier League appearances that season and was an unused substitute on 25 different occasions, which ultimately was the story of his time in the top-flight with the Foxes. The following year, he was loaned out to Watford.

Hamza Choudhury's versatility will be the main selling point for suitors this summer

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While Choudhury's ventures at centre-back were short-lived, his ability to slot into that role, plus a host of others, is why the 28-year-old is being linked with a move back to the Championship, despite being part of the Leicester squad that was relegated last season.

The 28-year-old is, first and foremost, a defensive midfielder, but the majority of his starts last season under Marti Cifuentes and Gary Rowett came as a full-back.

Similarly, when the Foxes won the Championship title under Enzo Maresca in 2023/24, Choudhury was used across the backline alongside the odd appearance in his more natural position.

The Bangladesh international has 129 second-tier appearances, and the majority of those have been for sides battling near the top of the division in that Leicester side that won the title and during his loan spell at Sheffield United.

So, as someone who has made a career of being a solid utility player who is content with being on the bench, too, it would make sense for Derby to look to bolster an already strong midfield with his addition.

Derby County fans will hope for more Javier Mascherano comparisons as Hamza Choudhury closes in

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Choudhury's bench role has continued under Russell Martin, but the 28-year-old wasn't even selected for the squad in the Foxes' 3-1 defeat in the EFL Cup against Ipswich Town on Tuesday night.

The Leicester boss stated that his omission was due to being linked with a move away, admitting that "nothing [is] concrete yet, but I need to really prepare with the guys we think are definitely going to be here."

With Derby already adding to their midfield core with the returning Bobby Clark and Championship veteran Alex Mowatt this summer, some Rams fans are rightly sceptical over the links.