Joseph in: 2 deals Wigan Athletic can be expected to make before the EFL kick-off on August 9th
Wigan Athletic were busy early on in the summer transfer window with the loan captures of Brentford’s Michael Olakigbe and Liverpool’s Calvin Ramsay, as well as a permanent deal for then Chelsea man Dion Rankine.
These signings were made swiftly as the Latics made an effort to fulfill manager Shaun Maloney’s wish, as reported by Wigan Today, of having 90% of next season’s playing squad in place before a warm weather training camp in Hungary which took place during the first week of July.
However, the Latics were not able to meet Maloney’s demand on this occasion, as veteran goalkeeper Andy Lonergan, signed on a player-coach basis, became the only new addition aside from the aforementioned three prior to the club’s trip to Hungary.
It could still be argued that the best pieces of business this summer conducted by Maloney and co were renewing the contracts of in-demand shot-stopper Sam Tickle as well as experienced centre-half Jason Kerr.
On Monday 15th July, the Latics signed defender Will Aimson from Exeter City, who will add seniority to a backline which includes youngsters such as England youth international Charlie Hughes and 21-year-old James Carragher, who has never made a league appearance for the Greater Manchester outfit.
Aimson was also the Grecians captain last season, so Maloney will know he can rely on his new player’s leadership skills, but with the 2024/25 season just around the corner, the Latics still have transfer deals left to complete.
Latics owner Mike Danson has instilled an ethos of financial sustainability at the heart of the club’s operations, which is understandable given the fact that the club went into administration in 2020 due to the failed ownership of Stanley Choi, and were also placed under a winding up petition last summer due to the financial wrongdoings of Danson’s predecessor Abdulrahman Al Jasmi.
One unfortunate by-product of the club’s new sustainability focus is that, at present, the club’s only out-and-out attacker is youth academy product Josh Stones, who has very little first-team experience at League One level, due to the fact that former attacking trio Josh Magennis, Charlie Wyke, and Stephen Humphrys all left WN5 following the expiration of their respective contracts this summer.
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