Bournemouth has turned down Leeds United’s offer for defender Chris Mepham, according to Fabrizio Romano on X.

Romano stated that Leeds and Sheffield United, their Yorkshire rivals, are interested in the 34-cap Welsh international, but Mepham has a job to play for The Cherries in the Premier League run-in, thus The Cherries have turned down the overtures.

With nine points above the drop zone and a present position of 12th in the league, Bournemouth, under the management of former Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola, are eager to make sure they have enough defensive cover as the season draws to a close and the games get intense. Mepham was not used as a substitute in the team’s convincing 5-0 FA Cup triumph over Swansea City, and his last start for the team came in the depressing 4-0 home loss to Liverpool eight days prior.

Prioritizing defensive reinforcements before the transfer market closes on February 1st, Leeds has been connected to several players this month, including Ben Godfrey of Everton. According to a report in the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Welshman confessed earlier this month that he would have to be ‘open to all options’ given he has only seen league play on six occasions this season and has only started three times.

Since joining the South Coast team in January 2019 for an alleged £12 million cost from Brentford, the center-back has made 117 appearances for the team. Despite making 26 appearances as a regular in the starting eleven during the previous season, he has struggled to take the place of players such as big-money acquisition Ilya Zabarnyi and Argentine international Marcos Senesi.

Author’s Perspective

Mepham would be an excellent addition for Daniel Farke’s team as they want to build on their strong performance and get closer to one of the two spots up for automatic promotion. At just 26 years old, the Welsh international would also give the team superb defensive alternatives going forward and give The Whites squad more Premier League experience.

Naturally, Bournemouth is not in a hurry to let go of a player who offers seasoned cover in the core of the defense and is supposedly signed through 2025. It will be intriguing to see if any better bids can turn the corner for The Cherries in the upcoming days.

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