Wigan Athletic won’t be signing recent Hull City trialist,
Wigan Athletic aren’t signing free agent left-back George Cox, reports Paul Kendrick.
Wigan Athletic have been linked with the defender recently following the start of the new League One season.
Cox, 25, is a free agent following his exit from Fortuna Sittard earlier this summer and he has been weighing up his options. He also had a trial at Championship side Hull City last month, as reported by HullLive.
The Latics ‘won’t’ be luring him to the DW Stadium anytime soon, according to Wigan Today reporter Kendrick on Twitter (see tweet below).
Cox’s hunt for a new club goes on as he considers where to go next. The full-back rose up through the ranks at Brighton and Hove Albion and was a regular for the Seagulls at various youth levels.
He never made a senior appearance for the Premier League side though and was shipped out on loan to the Football League for a spell at Northampton Town in League Two before heading to Fortuna Sittard.
The Worthing-born man enjoyed his time in Holland and his move to the Eredivisie was made permanent in 2020. He went on to make 110 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 times from the back, before his contract expired at the end of June.
Wigan’s name has emerged as a potential next destination after Hull decided not to hand him a deal. However, the door has now closed for now on a move to join Shaun Maloney’s side.
The Latics made a dream start to the new season after beating Derby County 2-1 at Pride Park courtesy of a brace by striker Charlie Wyke. They are back in action on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup against Wrexham away.
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Latics have lost a number of leaders since the end of last term, with skipper Tendayi Darikwa, vice-captain Max Power and club captain Jamie Jones leaving at the end of their contracts.
Maloney then saw Jack Whatmough and James McClean – the two leading candidates for the armband – depart on the eve of the campaign for Preston and Wrexham respectively.
Callum Lang led Latics out at Derby on Saturday, but Maloney has confirmed Magennis – who is recovering from a knee injury sustained at the end of last term – will be captain on his return.
“We’ve got a leadership group, which is down to five now with James McClean leaving,” explained Maloney.
Speaking after the win at Pride Park, Maloney also admitted his disappointment at McClean’s decision to move to Wrexham less than 24 hours before the big kick-off.
“I was really disappointed,” he said. “I really wanted to keep James and, as he put on his social media, I wanted him to be captain of the team this year.
“Look, I understand the decision he’s made, and I’ll never say a bad word against him.
“He played last year when he hadn’t been paid, and he trained hard every day, he gave me absolutely everything.
“He just came to a decision that he would get more security at a different club.
“I would have loved him to have stayed, he decided he needed that security, and I respect that.
“We’re both going to have to move on, that happens in football, sometimes things are taken out of your control.”
Magennis and Lang – along with McClean – were last week named in Maloney’s six-man ‘leadership group’, along with new signing Sean Clare, young gun Charlie Hughes and the experienced Charlie Wyke.
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