Portsmouth rivals in 'advanced talks' with Premier League defender ahead of Fratton Park visit
Pompey’s upcoming opponents set to welcome new face ahead of Saturday clash
Pompey will soon be welcoming Sunderland to Fratton Park as they prepare for their fourth Championship match of the 2024/25 campaign. However, as both sides make their final preparations ahead of the impending clash, Sunderland are reportedly in advanced talks to secure a loan move for the Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham.
According to reports in the Sunderland Echo, the deal will be without either an option to buy or obligation to buy but Mepham boasts significant Championship experience and will be able to add such experience and depth to Regis Le Bris’ defensive options.
Although the Black Cats have been able to celebrate the return of Dan Ballard, Aji Alese is now set to face a spell on the sidelines, triggering Le Bris to seriously consider the necessity for further defensive additions to his squad. Alese and Luke O’Nein had formed a formidable partnership in central defence with the Wearside club so far keeping three successive clean sheets but the 23-year-old ex-Irons star is now likely to be out until beyond the international break.
Their soon-to-be new recruit Mepham, 26, has enjoyed two impressive second-tier campaigns with Brentford before he made the switch up to the Premier League in 2018 in a deal reported to be around £12 million. He has since made over 100 appearances for the Cherries but is now not set to be included in Andoni Iraola’s plans for the ongoing season.
The Wearside club were said to be facing fierce competition from Championship rivals Sheffield United, but it appears that the centre-back is all set for his move to the Riverside Stadium. Mepham also has 46 international caps under his belt for Wales, featuring in both their UEFA Euro 2020 and 2022 Fifa World Cup campaigns.
As Pompey face Sunderland tomorrow, Saturday 31 August, even if a deal is pushed through before the 11pm deadline tonight, Mepham will be ineligible to face the Blues as the cut-off to be registered for tomorrow’s fixtures has already passed.