Celtic 'target' £8m Premier League defender Leeds United saw January offer rejected for
Leeds United and Sheffield United were both interested in the defender.
Celtic have added former Leeds United target Chris Mepham to their list of summer targets with the defender’s Bournemouth future in doubt.
Mepham has found it tricky to nail down a regular starting place at Bournemouth this season, having struggled with injuries and found himself below Marcos Senesi and Illia Zabarnyi in the pecking order. The Welsh international started just six Premier League games under Andoni Iraola and could look to leave this summer in search of more consistent minutes.
With the 26-year-old set to enter the final 12 months of his contract at the Vitality Stadium, transfer interest has started to resurface and the Daily Mail reports that Celtic have emerged as a potential suitor. The Scottish champions are in the early stages of their defensive recruitment process and have added Mepham to a list of possible targets.
With 12 months remaining on his deal, the report suggests that Mepham would command a fee of around £8million but with minutes limited and Bournemouth likely to strengthen again this summer, a move could well be on the cards. Leeds reportedly made an approach to sign the 46-capped Wales international in January, having identified defensive reinforcements as a key mid-season priority.
Premier League strugglers Sheffield United were also thought to have made an enquiry over the defender’s availability but Bournemouth knocked both approaches back, refusing to lose someone part-way through their campaign. It is unclear what their stance is going into the summer but Mepham has previously stressed the importance of regular football in a suggestion he could look to move on.
“I am probably - in football terms - coming to the peak of a career now at 26,” he recently admitted. “The next couple of years are important for me. It’s important to play week-in-week-out. If you are not getting the game time you want and need, you have to be open to all options. I just think sometimes things don’t always work out as you want and sometimes there’s a better fit for you elsewhere.”
It is unclear whether Leeds will rekindle reported interest in Mepham but central defensive reinforcements will be a key priority again this summer, with the departure of current options expected. Liam Cooper is currently set to leave as a free agent once his contract expires this month, while on-loan Joe Rodon has returned to parent club Tottenham and would be a tough buy.
Spurs recently confirmed their decision to activate a 12-month extension in Rodon’s contract in order to protect his value and after an initial £15m price-tag last summer, a permanent move could feasibly be out of Leeds’ price range. A possible option would be to take the Welshman on loan again with an obligation to buy if they win promotion, but it would rely on the typically business-like Daniel Levy compromising and Rodon making a clear push to return.
Charlie Cresswell may also be inclined to move on in search of regular football, having made just one Championship start all season. That would leave only Pascal Struijk as a natural option at centre-back, with Ethan Ampadu also able to drop in if needed. Leeds will face their fair share of financial challenges this summer, with chairman Paraag Marathe admitting already that tough decisions will need to be made in order to remain compliant with profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).