Thanks for 2024/2025, Meps!

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Much has been said about Sunderland’s ambitious recruitment this summer, and even after spending £140 million on eight new signings, it’s likely that more arrivals will follow them through the door.

Most of the focus thus far has been in midfield and attack, with left back Reinildo Mandava the only new defender to sign up so far, and therefore it seems obvious that further defensive reinforcements will be on the club’s immediate agenda.

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We’ll start the new season without Dennis Cirkin, Aji Alese and

Luke O’Nien due to injury, whilst fellow centre back Chris Mepham has returned to Bournemouth following a highly successful loan spell during which he made thirty eight appearances, scored the winner against Cardiff City and played a key role in our playoff final win over Sheffield United.

Our defence is currently threadbare and lacking in Premier League experience, with those occupying the shirt — Niall Huggins, Jenson Seelt and playoff hero Dan Ballard — no strangers to injury themselves.

On one hand, it would seem a no-brainer to bring back Mepham as a permanent signing, as the Welshman only has a year left on his contract at the Vitality Stadium and would surely be available for considerably less than the fees we’ve paid for other players this summer.

Mepham was a popular member of our promotion-winning team and was one of very few with Premier League experience, having played fifty three times for the Cherries in the English top flight, scoring two goals. He’s also played forty nine times for the Welsh national team.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Despite those standout credentials, there were no airs or graces as he settled in immediately and became an assured member of our squad, with undoubted quality at Championship level.

Mepham read the game well, always looked composed and was comfortable with the ball at his feet. He was also never afraid to get stuck in, making countless interceptions and headers.

Even when he found himself out of the team towards the end of last season, Mepham never complained publicly and was the ideal replacement when O’Nien found his arm in a sling just minutes into the playoff final at Wembley in May, but perhaps the writing was on the wall.

Mepham found himself on the sidelines after Ballard returned to fitness and that might’ve been a sign that Sunderland had no intention of making his loan deal permanent — and that may well be the case.

I have no doubts about his ability to play in the top flight (as he’s done so previously) and he would instantly fit into our squad once again, but our recruitment team must be aiming even higher.

Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images

It’s quite possible that Sunderland concluded that if Mepham was unable to cement his place in a Bournemouth team which has finished twelfth and fourteenth in the last two Premier League seasons, he wasn’t quite good enough for our level of ambition.

Even if his ceiling is already known, I’d be happy to add Mepham to our squad for the 2025/2026 season. He’s an honest professional who would come at a relatively low price, and represent good value, but it speaks volumes about where we’re potentially headed if Mepham isn’t to be part of our onward journey.

If that’s the case, we say a huge thank you to the likeable twenty seven-year-old and move on.

He gave us superb service during last season’s loan and contributed to the most significant campaign in our recent history. If it’s not with Sunderland, Mepham deserves a good career playing regular football, and we wish him well.

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