Chris Mepham can flourish at Bournemouth under Eddie Howe
As per a report by BBC, Bournemouth have succeeded in signing Chris Mepham from Brentford for a fee in the region of £12m. The club needed reinforcements to their side and the 21-year-old centre-back was a Cherries target for quite some-time, with the club chasing after him over the last two transfer windows.
However, Sky Sports had further added that Southampton were also in the race for the youngster. Regardless, Eddie Howe has certainly done a good job by bringing Mepham to Bournemouth.
But having played in the Championship all this while, can the promising defender replace the ageing Bournemouth core? The answer to that will only be revealed with time as Mepham continues to grow but the former Brentford star is probably their best bet right now.
Having made his debut in January of 2017, the 21-year-old made close to 50 appearances for Brentford, appearing 24 times this season alone. This not only shows Mepham skill and talent but also his hunger to grow and improve. In fact, he is arguably one of the best young centre-backs outside the Premier League. That should further come as no surprise, given the youngster’s power with the ball at his feet.
A tall and strong player, Mepham has all the qualities to excel as a centre-back but it’s his ability with the ball that adds to his value. Few defenders outside the Premier League have the confidence, skill and passing accuracy to match the youngster. Furthermore, he boasts of impressive agility despite being so tall.
However, given the mental and physical strength a player needs to survive the Premier League, it will be interesting to see if the youngster soars or crumbles under the pressure.
But having being released at the age of 14 by Chelsea, Chris Mepham has certainly come a long way and if anything, he took failure in his stride and worked hard to improve. This combined with his various other skills not only makes him a great player for Bournemouth but also a long-term option. As someone who has already earned four caps for Wales, Mepham has a long way to go.
