Celtic are on the hunt for a central defender to partner Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer and Brendan Rodgers has his eye on the English Premier League.
The Bhoys could do with an addition in that position following a lacklustre impact from both Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke in their debut seasons. The duo managed just 15 starts between them throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Rodgers was forced into relying on Liam Scales. The defender came into the team after injuries in the early part of the season and kept his spot.
While he proved his worth as a squad option and bagged himself a new contract, there’s little doubt Celtic can use the transfer market to strengthen that area of the pitch.
The Daily Mail reports tonight that one man Celtic are looking at is Bournemouth and Wales defender Chris Mepham, who is entering the final year of his contract.
Bournemouth have a stiff asking price for Mepham
It’s said the Cherries will be looking for as much as £8m for the defender. While that’s not outside Celtic’s capabilities, it would represent a significant investment for the Scottish champions.
Mepham is coming into his peak years at 26 having built up playing experience in the English Championship and Premier League, making a combined 169 appearances for Bournemouth and Brentford.
He’s also earned himself 46 caps with Wales along the way and is a trusted member of Rob Page’s squad.
The transfer report states that Celtic’s interest is in the initial stages and that they haven’t yet made a bid for the Bournemouth man, so there’s a long way to go on all this.
Mepham does have the hallmarks of a Brendan Rodgers target, so it would be no surprise to see more updates on this as the weeks roll on.