Sunderland chances of deal for £12m star now rated with Regis Le Bris in awe.
The Welsh international was brought in as defensive cover following the injury to Aji Alese, with Mepham having also stepped in during Dan Ballard’s injury absence.
Mepham, 26, has now started the last five league games for Regis Le Bris’ side, who claimed a 1-0 win against Hull City last time out.
Mepham was influential in the win. After the game, Sunderland boss Le Bris praised Mepham, saying: “He plays for the team, he has very good experience and is very important in the dressing room and on the pitch, individually and with the others.
“It is like a gift for a coach and a team like us. His maturity is very helpful for us.”
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Chris Mepham of Sunderland in action against Vakoun Bayo of Watford during the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford FC and Sunderland AFC at …
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Sunderland’s chances of permanent Chris Mepham deal now rated
An emerging report from Michael Graham on Sunderland Nation has now delved into the chances of Sunderland signing Mepham on a permanent deal from Bournemouth.
Graham points out that, unlike with Sunderland’s loan deal for Wilson Isidor from Zenit, the Black Cats do not have an option to buy Mepham.
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Mepham is out of contract next summer but the Cherries have a one-year option on his current deal.
Graham writes: “It feels highly unlikely that Bournemouth will choose to release a player they paid a lot of money for on a free when they will be able to demand a decent fee for him, so then it becomes a question for the open market really.”
Graham also alludes to the fact that Mepham could put himself in the shop window, even for a Premier League move, should he perform well at the Stadium of Light this season.
And with regards to a possible January move, Graham writes: “We don’t really have a precedent for the current ownership making that kind of a move.”
What is Chris Mepham’s current Bournemouth wage?
Bournemouth signed Mepham for a reported £12million from Brentford in January 2019.
He signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the south-coast club, and per Capology, the 47-cap Welshman earns £35,000-a-week, which makes him one of the lowest-earning first-team players at Bournemouth.
