If Bournemouth are to renew interest in Brentford's Chris Mepham in January, they should sweeten the deal by including Jermain Defoe in their offer.

What's the news?

Following Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe's comments to the Bournemouth Daily Echo, where he admitted that the Cherries' defence is the area most in need of improvement, a second attempt to sign centre-back Mepham looks likely in January.

The Bees have previously rebuffed the coastal side's efforts, with The Sun reporting on 6th October that a summer bid of £10m for the Welsh international was rejected. However, Howe will be back on the phone to the Championship side with an improved offer for the 20-year-old once the winter window opens.

Bournemouth's current pairing of Steve Cook and Nathan Ake have been performing well, so well in fact that the latter has come to the attention of Spurs, who have made the Dutch international their primary target. Therefore it is paramount that Howe brings Mepham to the Vitality, either as a back-up or as a starter.

How Jermain Defoe can make the deal happen.

Defoe's 19-year career has seen him play for six different clubs including MLS club Toronto and Spurs, scoring 242 career goals. He is currently in his second spell at Bournemouth, who he previously played for on loan from West Ham in 2000/01, but has seen his pitch time plummet due to the outstanding form of forwards Josh King and Callum Wilson.

Sources at Football Insider understand that he is not happy with the minutes he is playing and that he has spoken to former club West Ham about a return in January.

Bournemouth striker Jermain Defoe in action against MK Dons

However, after spending £92.6m (TalkSport) on transfers in the summer as Manuel Pellegrini's tenure began, it looks unlikely that Defoe would feature for a Hammers side that already has a plethora of striker options.

Brentford's in-form striker, Neal Maupay, has put himself on the map after scoring 10 goals in his first 10 games for Brentford in the Championship. This incredible strike rate has caught the attention of Huddersfield who are planning a £10m bid in January, according to The Sun.

If the Frenchman is won over by David Wagner, Brentford could be in need of a goalscorer; if there's one thing Defoe can do, it's put the ball in the back of the net.

If Bournemouth offer the 36-year-old as a sweetener in a player-plus-cash deal, the offer may be too good to refuse for Brentford.  They would be receiving a proven finisher, relishing a new challenge, who can also bring his experience to the dressing room. It would be smart deal for Howe to make.

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