With the news of Wout Faes, Leicester City should surpass Rangers in their transfer swoop to AFC Bournemouth.
Many first-team players, including Jamie Vardy, Wilfried Ndidi, Conor Coady, Mads Hermansen, Kasey McAteer, and most recently, James Justin, have left Leicester after their relegation from the Premier League. The club has only signed 38-year-old backup custodian Asmir Begovic this summer, despite the club’s continued financial instability. You would think that with parachute payments, the money they have made from player sales, and the wage bill declining, they would have added some players.
In their first three Championship games of the season, the Foxes have won twice and lost once, defeating Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic but falling short against Preston North End. Marti Cifuentes, the team’s new manager, won’t be overly worried with where his team starts, but he might be worried about their transfer activities, particularly given the dearth of centre-back choices. With Harry Souttar still injured until at least the new year and Wout Faes linked to a move to Besiktas, the club’s only other defensive option is the untested Ben Nelson. Jannik Vestergaard and Caleb Okoli started as the defensive duo against the Addicks.
Although Mepham from Bournemouth has been linked to Russell Martin’s Rangers team, Leicester should move swiftly to capture the Welsh international before the Scottish team does. The 27-year-old Mepham, who is in the last year of his contract with Bournemouth, does not seem to be part of manager Andoni Iraola’s plans for this season after missing both of the Cherries’ matchday squads against Wolves and Liverpool. This summer, Bournemouth’s defence has seen a mass exodus as Milos Kerkez, Ilya Zabarnyi, and Dean Huijsen have all left for Real Madrid, PSG, and Liverpool, respectively.
Despite this, Mepham still doesn’t seem to have a place in the hierarchy, trailing James Hill, Marcos Senesi, and newcomer Bafode Diakite. Due to his decreased transfer worth and his current £35,000 weekly salary at Bournemouth, Leicester City may be able to quickly acquire the Welshman. Mepham has played 127 games in the second division for teams including Brentford, Bournemouth, and Sunderland, giving him a wealth of Championship experience.
The Welsh international, who most recently played for Sunderland in the North East, was a mainstay in the Black Cats’ defence, making 38 appearances during the regular season and starting in the team’s victory over Sheffield United in the play-off final. In addition to helping Bournemouth win promotion with Sunderland the previous season, Mepham would primarily be a squad player that year, competing against players like Gary Cahill, Lloyd Kelly, and Nat Phillips for that position.
The 49-time Welsh international would be a great addition to a Foxesside team that is in dire need of some new players. He would offer depth and talent to the team in addition to experience and expertise. Rangers, who too have had a difficult start to the season under new manager Martin, will be a rival for his services. However, Leicester should be able to withstand any competition by offering a far larger salary package.
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