Chris Mepham to be reunited with Sunderland defender as West Brom eye January agreement
West Brom are looking to add to their defensive options in January.
Ryan Mason remains under immense pressure at The Hawthorns with West Brom looking highly unlikely to make the play-offs, though the Baggies will attempt to rectify that with January arrivals.
Sunderland’s Dan Neil has already been linked with a move to West Brom, and with just six months left on his contract, it could be a good time for Albion to push for a deal.
However, West Brom have also registered an interest in one of his teammates, who featured regularly alongside Chris Mepham last season.
West Brom named as suitor for Luke O’Nien transfer
Luke O’Nien, like Neil, has been a victim of Sunderland’s success this season, having made just two Premier League appearances, one of which saw him receive a straight red card.
However, the former Watford academy star was a regular for the Black Cats throughout their journey from League One back to the top flight.
With that said, his lack of gametime has started to cast a shadow of doubt over his future at the Stadium of Light, with West Brom interested in a deal.
That is according to The Chronicle, who report that the Baggies are monitoring his situation alongside Coventry and Birmingham.
Since joining Sunderland in 2018, O’Nien has made 316 appearances for the Black Cats and would add a lot to this West Brom side, with one aspect of his game certainly standing out more than the rest.
What would Luke O’Nien bring to West Brom?
O’Nien won two promotions with Sunderland, showcasing the fact that he knows what it takes to get out of this league.
He was an influential figure in their recent promotion, having started 48 of their 49 encounters last season.
He would bring plenty of quality to Mason‘s defensive line from a technical ability point of view, but it was his work rate and attitude that saw him hailed by his former manager, Gordon Bartlett.
In an interview with Mackem News, the ex-Wealdstone boss said: “In general, Luke is a genuinely nice fella who you couldn’t wish for someone to be more successful just by his attitude and his enthusiasm.
“If everybody had his work ethic and desire to achieve something, this country would be in a far better situation than it is, let alone just football.
“His desire to achieve and his work ethic are probably better than all the players that I ever had anyway, and if anyone deserves success, it was Luke.”