Leeds United needed a new right-back. They got a specialist in the position — Jayden Bogle.
Their fourth signing of the summer has already shown what he can offer Daniel Farke with two positive displays in friendly wins at Leeds’ pre-season camp in Germany. This is a touchline-hugging penalty box breaker with plenty of Championship experience.
For the £5million ($6.4m) fee paid to Sheffield United, Bogle represents a shrewd addition. He has already made 115 appearances in the second tier at 24. Replacing Archie Gray as first-choice right-back is always going to be a tough ask, at least in terms of sentimental attachment, but two assists in two pre-season matches hints that he is a player that Leeds need, even if the circumstances of his arrival are what few fans wanted.
Despite a delayed arrival at Leeds’ pre-season base after completing his move from South Yorkshire to West Yorkshire, Bogle has settled quickly with the squad and came off the bench in the first friendly win against Hannover 96 to good effect. His advanced runs to the byline and crosses into the area are a positive attacking threat. He teed up Mateo Joseph for a well-taken goal in the 4-1 win.
Providing that attacking threat — and there was a similar move to unlock Schalke’s defence and set up Joseph again later in the pre-season camp — will be encouraged regardless of formation. That said, Bogle is comfortable in both a back five and a back four.
🔥 “Joseph gets on the end of it!” pic.twitter.com/uGglbnmvcR
— Leeds United (@LUFC) July 27, 2024
“I am comfortable on the ball, I like to get forward and create chances but be defensively solid and strong,” Bogle said. “I like to have good positioning, too, and just be a big part of the team basically, to commit going forward and defensively as well.”
Bogle scores against Manchester United last season (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Bogle played as a wing-back in a back five under Chris Wilder as Sheffield United struggled in the Premier League last season but drew praise for his development in his fourth season at Bramall Lane. He sealed his move there in 2020 after flourishing at Derby County, where he made 90 appearances in all competitions — including in the 2019 play-off semi-final where he was part of the ‘Spygate’ binocular celebrations. Five years on, Bogle has one promotion to the Premier League on his CV. Leeds have signed a more experienced and rounded right-back capable of offering different — more traditional — qualities than Gray last season.
Context when comparing the two players is key — Gray was a central midfielder turned right-back playing in his breakthrough season in a possession-dominant team, which averaged 58 per cent of the ball. Bogle by contrast was in a team battling for survival in the Premier League and has been a right-back since the early stages of his career in the youth teams at Swindon Town and Reading. He played in a team averaging 35.4 per cent possession last year.
But bearing that in mind, we can expect to see more of the glimpses shown by Bogle in pre-season. This is a touchline-hugging player capable of getting up and down the right flank. That brings its strengths, with Bogle’s 1.29 crosses per 90 (0.32 successful per 90) delivered into the area in 2023-24 outranking Gray’s (0.21 successful crosses from 1.09 attempted per 90). It could also change how Leeds build in attack. Bogle is less likely to step inside, as shown by the touch map below, than Gray. This makes sense for Gray, a player used to playing in midfield rather than out-wide.
As might be expected given the difference in team style (Sheffield United’s more direct and slower possession-based build-up for Leeds), Gray’s passing accuracy and frequency were superior to Bogle’s last season. However, the latter broke into the penalty area more often. He had 1.9 touches per 90 in the box, averaging one shot per game. He benefited from being able to play in a higher position as part of a back five and was able to capitalise by intercepting and scoring a well-taken goal against Manchester United in a 4-2 defeat in April.
And while Bogle is more of a traditional right-back in his willingness to stay wide, attacking displays like in Sheffield United’s 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest in May, when he took three shots, show what he can do if he chooses to cut inside. The first, shown below, sees him pick up the ball in a tight space after drifting inside and finding room to get a shot away, while the second (just after the five-minute mark) shows his ability when driving into the box from wide areas.
As a glimpse of what Bogle can offer Leeds, this could be a smart signing for Farke, who has a player who suits the systems he might operate. Add Bogle’s potential, his experience in winning promotion and committing to Leeds as the club where he sees the biggest chance of returning to the Premier League and it is easy to see why the deal was done.
With one more chance to impress in pre-season as Leeds face Valencia at Elland Road this weekend, the new season creeps ever nearer. Bogle looks like he should be a key part of the promotion push — and an addition that is naturally suited to it.
(Top photo: Leeds United)
