Sunderland face battle with Southampton and Watford for Lamare Bogarde | OneFootball

Highlights

A trio of Championship clubs are set to enter the race to sign Lamare Bogarde from Aston Villa this January.

According to Football Insider, the 20-year-old is the subject of intense transfer speculation.

A number of clubs have been linked with potentially signing the youngster, with the likes of Cardiff City, Watford and Southampton all mentioned.

Aberdeen are also eyeing the Dutchman following the termination of his loan spell at Bristol Rovers.

Bogarde spent the first half of the campaign with the Gas, before Villa opted to recall him at the start of January.

Lamare Bogarde transfer latest

Bogarde made 14 appearances in League One with Rovers before being recalled by Villa.

The midfielder earned plaudits for his performances and is now potentially looking at taking the step up to the Championship.

Southampton currently occupy a top six position in the second division, with Watford and Cardiff also competing for a play-off place.

Sunderland have also been mentioned as a potential next destination for the youngster, with the Black Cats also fighting for Premier League promotion.

Michael Beale will be hoping to strengthen his first team squad at the Stadium of Light following his late December arrival as manager of the Wearside outfit.

Any deal agreed this month is likely to be completed on a temporary basis, with Villa hoping to hold onto their academy graduate for the time being.

Aberdeen are eighth in the Scottish Premiership, but will be aiming to secure European qualification for next season.

Villa already have youngsters Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Sebastian Revan out on loan, with Unai Emery’s team looking to secure a top four spot in the Premier League this campaign.

Bogarde is unlikely to feature in the Spaniard’s plans, so another loan would help him receive regular playing time.

The 20-year-old has a contract with the Midlands outfit until the summer of 2025.

Southampton are currently third in the Championship table, three points behind second place Ipswich Town.

The Saints are unbeaten since late September, and have closed the gap to the automatic promotion places in recent weeks.

Sunderland are also inside the top six, sitting sixth with a one point gap to seventh place Hull City.

Cardiff and Watford are ninth and 10th respectively, with just one point separating the two teams.

Cardiff are just three points adrift of the play-off places after the opening 26 games.

Bogarde taking the step up to the Championship

Bogarde fell out of favour at Bristol Rovers following the departure of Joey Barton as manager.

However, he was performing well in League One when given an opportunity and should be going back out on loan to keep getting regular game time.

The step up to the Championship will be interesting, and Villa should be trying to prioritise where he will receive the most minutes.

This will be a big test for Bogarde should he make the switch to one of these four second division sides, but it will also be a chance to prove his readiness for first team football at Villa for the next campaign.