With the news of Tommy Watson leaving for Brighton, Sunderland fans have started spending the money already and there’s one player they want to see brought in.
Sunderland still have plenty to play for on the pitch, with seven games of the normal season remaining before those play-off dates that the Black Cats are destined for.
But, off the pitch, the club’s fanbase was rocked this week by the sudden announcement that Tommy Watson will be joining Brighton this summer for £10m.
While that’s a blow, many believe Watson’s switch is a good deal for Sunderland, and that money can obviously be invested in new players come the summer, too.
- READ MORE: Three winners and three losers in Sunderland winger Tommy Watson’s £10m transfer to Brighton
Sunderland fans want to see Chris Mepham signed permanently
In the wake of the news that Watson will be departing and that the Black Cats will receive an eight-figure sum for the youngster, Sunderland fans wasted no time in clamouring for a new arrival, but it’s actually a familiar face.
Sunderland supporters have made it clear they want the club to sign Chris Mepham on a permanent basis as soon as possible after his impressive loan spell this season.
One fan took to Twitter/X to write: “Use the Watson money to secure a permanent move for Mepham. Anything north of £10m [for Watson] is a very good deal in my opinion.”
Another added, “He’s a top defender. I’d love him to stay. We are definitely a better team with him than without him for sure,” while a third said, “Needs to be one first things we do. If we are to be promoted the quality of defence needs to be very high.”
Others are more concerned that Mepham’s good displays this season will have attracted attention from elsewhere and make things difficult for Sunderland.
One suggested, “There’ll be plenty suitors,” and another said, “It’s a hard one because he will have drawn attention from other clubs with these performances, and Bournemouth paid £12m. But obviously they will not get that.”
Meanwhile, some supporters had no faith that the Black Cats will retain Mepham, especially due to the player’s wages, adding: “We won’t pay what he is wanting, no chance of him staying.”
What’s the situation regarding Chris Mepham’s future?
Of all the summer signings Sunderland made, Mepham has been the most successful this season. He’s brought experience and stability to the backline under Regis Le Bris, and Sunderland would definitely be a stronger team if they get to keep him.
As things stand, Mepham’s Bournemouth contract expires this summer, so he could sign for Sunderland for nothing at all. But, the Cherries do have the option to trigger a one-year extension on his current deal which would complicate things, and likely start a bidding war for the defender.
| Statistics | Chris Mepham 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 31 |
| Minutes | 2,674 |
| Tackles won | 65% |
| Blocks per 90 | 1.21 |
| Clearances per 90 | 6.36 |
Mepham himself is keen on joining Sunderland permanently, and he’s previously discussed the ‘connection’ he feels with the Black Cats fans.
Whether Sunderland sign Mepham or not will depend on a number of factors. Bournemouth will have a say, of course, and the success or failure of Sunderland’s promotion push will also be key. But, it would seem that all parties are interested in doing a deal if possible.