Regis Le Bris thinks £12m man Sheffield United want to sign is ‘a gift’, Chris Wilder will love him

Add as preferred source on Google

After suffering heartbreak in the Championship play-off final against Sunderland, Sheffield United have a huge summer ahead of them.

Tommy Watson’s 95th-minute winner at Wembley ensured Sheffield United’s abysmal play-off record continued, despite initially taking the lead through Tyrese Campbell.

The Blades must now take inspiration from Leeds United, who lost in the final against Southampton in 2024 before winning the title in 2025.

To achieve their aim of automatic promotion, though, a lot hinges on how they replace their star players. Gustavo Hamer is attracting Premier League interest and could be sold, while Vinicius Souza has admirers from England’s top flight, too.

Sheffield United are eyeing Coventry City’s Jack Rudoni as a potential Hamer replacement but Chris Wilder also wants to strengthen his defence.

• READ MORE: How Borussia Dortmund beat Premier League rivals to Jobe Bellingham deal as transfer fee revealed

Regis Le Bris’ comments on Chris Mepham explain why Sheffield United must pounce

In 2024/25, United had the third-best back line in the Championship, conceding 38 goals in 46 matches, with only Burnley and Leeds bettering that record.

The Blades also kept a whopping 24 clean sheets across the campaign, with their poor run of form towards the end costing them a place in the top two.

Wilder has already looked to address that problem, however, as Sheffield United are targeting Chris Mepham after his fine campaign at Sunderland.

Mepham – who joined Bournemouth for £12 million in 2019 – moved to the Stadium of Light on loan from the Cherries as he sought regular game time, something Andoni Iraola couldn’t provide him.

Now, despite wages being a potential issue, the 27-year-old is set to leave the Vitality Stadium on a free transfer this summer, and Regis Le Bris’ comments on the centre-back already explain why the Blades should capture him.

“The way he connects with the other players is important,” Le Bris said in October 2024. “You can sense his maturity, and that makes it so easy for the others to play with him. For me, it is a gift to have him here.

“We got the balance right, I think, and a player like Chris Mepham is so important. He is important for the performance of the team, but he is also so important here, in the meeting room.”

• READ MORE: Jack Wilshere’s true feelings on becoming Plymouth Argyle manager revealed as frontrunner emerges

Chris Wilder would love Mepham at Sheffield United

Sunderland signed the experienced Mepham to complement the youthful exuberance throughout the rest of the squad, and it worked a treat.

The Welshman made 40 appearances in all competitions and was integral in the play-off final after replacing the injured Luke O’Nien in the first minute.

Further, after Sheffield United were relegated from the Premier League in 2024, Wilder bemoaned the lack of leadership in his squad.

It suggests he would love someone like Mepham controlling his defence and challenging the likes of Jack Robinson and Anel Ahmedhodzic.

Speaking in April 2024 after their defeat to Newcastle United, Wilder said: “There’s a reason why [the second-half collapse] happens. It’s an incredibly young side and there’s a complete lack of leadership out there. I thought at times I was going to have a heart attack in terms of trying to get the messages on.

“There have been plenty of games where we have been put to bed early, but today we could have been 3-0 up at half-time.”

Indeed, another leadership presence like Mepham can turn the Blades into a watertight defence, perhaps taking inspiration from Burnley’s success.