Bournemouth’s standout player Chris Mepham was rumored to be moving to Leeds United in January, potentially making him the fifth Welsh player under Daniel Farke’s management. He might now regret not making the move.
However, Leeds only made one signing during the transfer window despite losing nine players, including key figures like Luke Ayling, Djed Spence, and Ian Poveda. Connor Roberts made his debut for Leeds on Saturday, but their defensive lineup remains thin, especially with Sam Byram and Jamie Shackleton also unavailable for Tuesday’s match against Swansea. Archie Gray, Junior Firpo, and Roberts are the available options for full-back positions tonight.
In central defense, Ethan Ampadu has performed admirably in place of the injured Pascal Struijk, whose injury turned out to be more severe than initially thought. Liam Cooper and Charlie Cresswell are among the substitutes.
Ampadu’s strong performances, along with Ilia Gruev’s midfield contributions, may have mitigated the need for another center-back. However, Leeds did consider signing a center-back in January, with Mepham being one of the names mentioned.
Mepham, who partners with Joe Rodon in Wales’ defense, has struggled for playing time under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth. Despite being a £12 million signing and receiving praise from former manager Scott Parker, Mepham has only been utilized once in the five games Bournemouth played in both the Premier League and FA Cup since the Leeds rumors surfaced.
He has mostly remained on the bench, indicating his peripheral status at Bournemouth. Unless there are significant changes in Bournemouth’s squad fitness, Mepham is likely to continue receiving limited opportunities, leaving him to rue his decision to stay.
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