Aston Villa manager Dean Smith is a busy man during the transfer window, as he looks to stamp his own mark on his Villa squad, while also getting his side's promotion challenge back on track.

Defence has been an area that needs addressing at Villa Park, so the news that Brentford centre-back Chris Mepham has made a £12 million move to Bournemouth may be a disappointment to Smith, with the Villans reportedly offering more to secure a deal for him, according to The Sun (23 January, page 51).

So will Villa live to regret missing out on Mepham?

We discuss.....

Gary Hutchinson

“No, I’m sure they won’t.

“There’s no room in this game for regret.

“If there was, loaning out Elphick would be bigger.

“If he’d been there earlier in the season they might not have conceded so many.”

Jacob Potter

"It will have been a frustrating blow for Dean Smith.

"He knows all about Mepham, having worked with him earlier in his career at Brentford, and his decision to join Bournemouth will be hugely frustrating.

"But there will certainly be cheaper alternatives for Dean Smith in the market, but he’ll need to act quickly to add another defender to his squad."

Jay Taylor

“I don’t think they could have done much more.

“For what it’s worth I am sure they offered a higher transfer fee and a better wage that Bournemouth did, but he chose the Premier League.

“It’s the position Villa find themselves in, they can only do so much, but their place in the pyramid will only get them so far.

“It could turn out to be a huge opportunity missed, but I am sure Smith has other targets on his list.”