Transfer Story
As per one of the latest reports by The Sun, Bournemouth are keen to lure Brentford’s Chris Mepham to the Vitality Stadium. However, the Cherries are in a transfer-tussle with their Premier League rivals Leicester City who are also in the race to make Mepham sign on the dotted line.
Brentford value the defender very highly and considering that his credentials are expected to increase manifold in the near future, they are determined to drive a hard bargain. The Bees have rejected a bid of £12million from Bournemouth after turning down an offer of £10million from the Foxes previously.
Fact File And Attributes
Mepham emerged through the youth ranks of Chelsea and Brentford and eventually, made a mark in the senior side of the latter. He accumulated 21 appearances in the Championship last term, during which he scored 1 goal. Besides, he mustered 1.4 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 7.3 clearances and 0.6 blocks per game on an average.
The central defender played the entire match in Brentford’s impressive 5-1 win in the opening fixture over Rotherham on Saturday. He has represented the Wales national side on a couple of occasions and he certainly has a bright future ahead of him.
Tall and well-built, he has shown that he can read the game excellently and has been quite confident in his approach. He is a tough tackler and poses threat to the opposition during the set-pieces. Moreover, he has a decent pace, clears the dangers quite comfortably and more often than not, he passes the ball really well.
He Will Be A Good Signing For Howe
Eddie Howe has made two quality additions by signing Diego Rico and David Brooks this summer. However, Mepham’s link with Bournemouth suggests that Howe is keen to bolster his back line to ensure that his side fares in a commendable manner this season.
Bournemouth are currently sweating over Nathan Ake’s injury. The centre-back was pulled out of the pre-season friendly game against Marseille after he took a whack to a toe. Jack Simpson was on the verge of making a loan move to Rangers but Ake’s injury has forced Howe’s camp to put the deal on hold.
If Simpson’s move actually materializes, signing someone like Mepham will make a lot of sense. The 20-year-old might not be slotted directly into the starting line-up if a deal actually churns out but his availability will introduce competition for Ake, Steve Cook and Tyrone Mings for the central defensive position.