Chris Mepham's Bournemouth contract and transfer situation explained after blistering Sunderland start

Sunderland loanee Chris Mepham has made a flying start to life on Wearside.

The Wales international joined Sunderland on a season-long loan from Bournemouth on deadline day with the Black Cats hoping to add quality and competition to their backline.

Kristjaan Speakman and Stuart Harvey’s decision to bring in the 26-year-old centre-back has paid dividends already after the injuries to Aji Alese and Dan Ballard.

Mepham started once again alongside Luke O’Nien against Hull City last weekend and bagged The Echo’s Player of the Match as the Wearsiders won to return to the top of the Championship following the 1-0 victory at the MKM Stadium.

Here, though, we take a look at Mepham’s contract and transfer situation as it stands with Sunderland fans already hopeful that the club can sign the defender permanently:

How long does Mepham have on his contract?

The defender has 12 months left on his contract at Premier League club Bournemouth. However, the Cherries hold an option to extend the deal by another year should they choose to do so.

Mepham signed for Bournemouth from Brentford for a fee thought to be around £12million back in 2019. Should he continue his good form at Sunderland this season it is unlikely that his parent club will let him leave for nothing when they have the option to extend his contract and potentially recoup a fee.

It is also, of course, possible that Mepham returns to Bournemouth and pushes for a first-team place in the Premier League or Championship depending on how they do this season in the top-flight.

What has Chris Mepham said about his future?

“This is my final year and I think the club have the option of next year,” Mepham revealed regarding his contract at Premier League club Bournemouth in September.

“Yeah, I don't want to look too far ahead,” Mepham said when asked about signing for Sunderland permanently after his loan this season. “I think naturally you keep it week by week because a lot can happen in a short period of time.

“Like I said, I think the most important thing for me at this stage of my career is just playing football and getting regular game time which is something I've probably missed over the last couple of years.

“I think all that will look after itself but I think for me the most important thing is just getting game time, staying fit and staying injury-free. Of course, the most important thing is helping the team and trying to do as best I can for the football club.”

What has head coach Le Bris said about Mepham?

Le Bris praised Chris Mepham after the Sunderland loanee produced another excellent display at Hull City on Sunday afternoon. The Frenchman also said the 26-year-old was a “gift” to him as head coach.

“It’s certainly not difficult to manage this type of player," Le Bris said. "He plays for the team, he has very good experience and is very important in the dressing room and on the pitch, individually and with the others. It is like a gift for a coach and a team like us. His maturity is very helpful for us."