Sunderland AFC: Chris Mepham speaks out amid potential permanent Black Cats transfer talk | OneFootball

The Sunderland defender is out of contract with the Cherries next summer, and he's been talking about his future plans.

Bournemouth loanee Chris Mepham has admitted that a permanent transfer to Sunderland isn't something the defender is currently thinking about.

Speaking via The Northern Echo, the contracted Cherries centre-back has been discussing what his future in the game may look like, whilst also revealing that he's at his happiest when he's playing regular football.

The Welsh international put pen to paper on a season-long loan deal with the Black Cats this summer, and after making an impressive debut in Sunderland's 1-0 win over Middlesbrough, conversations around the potential for a permanent deal to be struck for him have begun to surface.

Mepham, 26, is set to see his Bournemouth contract expire at the end of the season, but the Cherries do have the option to extend the defender's deal by a further 12 months should they wish.

He doesn't currently appear to be in Andoni Iraola's plans at the Vitality Stadium, but Mepham doesn't appear to be worrying about anything else but playing well for Sunderland at this moment in time.

Chris Mepham brushes off potential Sunderland permanent move talk

Mepham's reasoning for joining Sunderland was clear; play games and help the club in their pursuit of Premier League promotion. Judging from what he's been saying recently, that's all he's focused on at this moment in time.

Speaking with The Northern Echo, Mepham said: "This is my final year (at Bournemouth) and I think the club have the option of next year.

"I don't want to look too far ahead. 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.

"All of 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."

After having only made 13 first team appearances in all competitions for Bournemouth last season, - 10 of which came in the Premier League - being resigned to spending the prime years of his career on the bench is evidently something Mepham has little interest in doing.

"It's super, super tough not playing,"he confessed.

"Again, you get some lads that might not be as affected.

"They might be happy to sit on their contracts but I think I've never been that way. I've never wanted to accept the position I'm in, sit on the bench and just see the season through.

"I'm at my happiest and most content in my life when I'm in the team playing football and it seems like all your problems kind of disappear.

"I think that's important and of course I like to think I've still got plenty of time on my side and if I can, like I said, get that regular game time I know that my levels will get higher and that can only help this club and help Wales when I do go away with them."

Chris Mepham already looks to be a solid bit of Sunderland business

Having brought in a player who hadn't been playing regular football, despite bringing Premier League and international pedigree to Wearside with him, there was still a certain level of skepticism over from some Sunderland supporters as to the size of the impact he could make.

But after a superb debut performance in Sunderland's Wear-Tees Derby triumph over Middlesbrough, any lingering doubts over his ability and readiness to display it were swiftly cast aside.

The centre-back won 75% of his aerial duels, completed 30/36 of his passes (86%), had 44 touches of the ball, made a handful of important clearances and blocks, and finished the game with a 7.2/10 rating - per FotMob.

Filling in for the injured Dan Ballard, Mepham was a brick wall in Regis Le Bris' defence, and showed to a sell-out Stadium of Light crowd that they can trust him to come into the team and perform whenever he's called upon.

In Ballard, Mepham and Luke O'Nien, Le Bris looks to have three quality Championship centre-backs all battling for starting roles. The Black Cats will also hope that it won't be too long until Ajibola Alese and Jenson Seelt return from injury too.

So, whilst many continue to rave about Sunderland's attacking talent and how they can fire them to the Premier League, their industrious and stout defence looks set to play just as big a role for the Black Cats this season, and Mepham appears to have a big role to play in that unit.