player who could realistically sign for Wigan Athletic in the coming weeks
Wigan Athletic are preparing for life back in League One following their relegation from the Championship.
Wigan Athletic have kept Shaun Maloney in charge and he will be eager to mount an immediate promotion push back to the second tier.
The Latics have been linked with a few players over recent times as they look to bring in some more reinforcements to their ranks. Here is a look at two individuals they could realistically land over the next couple of weeks before the new season starts…
Kelland Watts
Wigan are expected to tie up a deal to bring the Newcastle United man back to the DW Stadium. As per reporter Craig Hope on Twitter, the defender is ‘set’ to join on a season-long loan that will be made permanent when his contract with Eddie Howe’s side expires in June 2024.
Watts, 23, spent the 2021/22 campaign with the Latics and made 35 appearances in all competitions as he helped the North West outfit win promotion. He has also had temporary stints away from the Toon Army at Stevenage, Mansfield Town, Plymouth Argyle and most recently Peterborough United to get experience under his belt.
Josh Emmanuel
The door is open to land the right-back on a free transfer following his departure from Grimsby Town at the end of last month. He knows what it takes to get out of League One having helped Hull City win the title under their former boss Grant McCann back in 2021.
Emmanuel is an experienced player in the Football League and has played 176 games in his career to date, having previously been at Ipswich Town, Crawley Town, Rotherham United, Shrewsbury Town and Bolton Wanderers in the past. Wigan are believed to be keen, as per Football Insider, with Port Vale and Peterborough also mentioned as potential suitors.
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For Shaun Maloney, there was a time not so long ago that seeing Wigan Athletic on the start line seemed like an impossible dream.
Which is why the Latics manager’s glass will always remain half-full when it comes to shaping the future under new owner Mike Danson.
“We lost the CEO, we lost the rest of the board, and it felt like I had to be here on a daily basis around the place, for the people at the stadium and the training ground,” said Maloney.
“For them, it’s their lives, their livelihoods, their families…people’s families are reliant on their jobs, their income.
“When you see that under serious threat, you see things, emotions come out, and that’s what affected me the most.
“It was hard because I’d loved to have been able to give people more information that I was able to.
“I was trying to give Mr Danson clarity on how the football structure looked, and it’s been well documented how the financial situation had run completely out of control.
“I tried to bring clarity on how we could bring that back towards a much more stable position, over the next season, two seasons, three seasons, under that model.
“But, look, I’m also very ambitious about where this club could go, and we will be pushing to get back in the Championship in the next few years.
“Our immediate priority has to be to stay in this league, and to stabilise the club.
“But when we get back to a certain level, we can’t be shouting about it.
“It’s got to be a very different way of how the club is run.
“We have to do our work quietly and in a humble way…while also encouraging the supporters to be excited about where we’re headed.”
Until Wigan-born billionaire Danson appeared on the scene, there was a very possibility – more like probability – Latics would have ceased to exist as we know it.
And Maloney is determined to reward the new owner by delivering his dream of a self-sustainable football club – but not one lacking in ambition.
“He was very clear on where the club has to get to, within the football structure, and the financial responsibilities,” added Maloney.
“But at the same time we still have those ambitions of where we want to get to.
“I’m very aware of my responsibility within that structure, in terms of every department in the football club.
“We have to get as close to self-sustainable as we can, while still continuing to push our levels as best we can.
“I loved being in the Championship, I really loved it.
“But we need to make sure we stay in League One, and stabilise the club, before we look at getting back there.
“Within that, I have to change the way we play, and I think you saw in the last month of the season that improvement came at a really dramatic rate.
“That won’t happen overnight, but I want the fans to have a team they can be proud of coming to watch.
“We’re going to win some, we’re going to lose some, but the fans need to be proud of what they’re seeing.”
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