Wigan Athletic 2023/24 Sensible Transfers – Attacking Midfielders

This summer is one of the most important in Wigan Athletic’s 91 year history. After one of the most tumultuous season’s in living memory both on and off the pitch it is absolutely vital that the club change their staff structure, their budgets and of course their recruiting processes and playing squad in order to truly begin this new era in the correct way.

This time last summer I spoke about the importance of lowering the average age and increasing the sell on value of the squad in order to make the club more sustainable from a financial perspective. Signing players who still have room for development also creates an exciting atmosphere around the club and means that, in theory, we improve year after year.

There are enough experienced heads around the club despite what is set to be a mass clear out this summer, so my focus is on identifying and highlighting some of the most realistic and sensible transfer targets Latics could take a look at in the transfer window. All of the options fit a much smaller wage structure that the club will be operating with, and the majority are free agents or loans.

To get an idea of my thoughts about the 2022/23 squad check out my squad review articles I posted earlier on this month. There you’ll also find a rough estimate on the money I’m expecting us to free up and spend in League One. I’d suggest taking a look at those first before coming back to this and the other sensible transfers articles!

Before we start, a few disclaimers!

All of my sensible transfers articles have been planned, researched and written prior to the club releasing their retained list ahead of the 2023/24 season so are all subject to change.

These articles are written under the assumption that off field matters are resolved in good time and no more issues are on the horizon. The club has accepted a four point penalty at the start of next season but should that become eight points I’d imagine several players on my shortlists will become unavailable.

The wages, contract length and transfer value have all been taken from Transfermarkt which is a reliable but not necessarily 100% accurate website so don’t take those figures as gospel.

And last but not least, these are JUST opinions. I’m not pretending to be a recruitment expert, these are just some suggestions that I like the look of!

Current Options and Profiles

In my squad review article I decided that, in my opinion, Thelo Aasgaard, Callum Lang, Anthony Scully and Jamie McGrath should all be kept around to bolster Latics’ attacking power next season, as should top scorer Will Keane. Assuming the latter is used as one of the two inside forwards next season that’s five players for two positions which is arguably enough as it is.

However, this is why profiling your players is vital. On paper they are just five attacking midfielders but on the pitch they all have different strengths, different weaknesses and are used in different ways. Players like Aasgaard and McGrath are probably more suited to the conventional number 10 position, getting on the ball in and around the penalty area and creating goal scoring opportunities for themselves and others.

Callum Lang and Anthony Scully are definitely more suited to playing in wide areas and cutting in from the wings to take shots on goal or play incisive passes inside the box. Like I say, four ‘attacking midfielders’ but players who offer very different things. And that brings me on to why I’m writing this article despite us having decent options as it is.

There are two missing ‘profiles’ in our group of attacking midfielders heading into next season. Firstly, pace. We’re crying out for a direct dribbler who’ll take opponents on 1v1 and provide a genuine outlet on the counter attack, but they also need to be technically sound enough to contribute to a more measured type of build up play. I expect we’ll be up against plenty of low-blocks next season so line breaking ability is vital.

Secondly it would be ideal if we could bring in a left footed attacker to provide natural variation in our frontline. All the names I’ve already mentioned are right footed so it’d be nice to bring in someone comfortable going on the outside of the opposition right back or cutting inside from the right wing, similarly to how Lang and Scully do on the left.

I’m also aware that some of the current crop of players, Scully and McGrath especially, may be subject to bids this summer and could end up moving on so there will be a few players with their profiles on the list too.

It’s also worth noting that this is probably the perfect position to bring in a talented Premier League / Championship youngster on loan. Firstly, they’re more likely to have the pace and trickery that we require, and secondly they’re a cheap solution to a problem that is far less pressing than others on the pitch.

That’s what I’m looking for. Whether a club at our level and with our issues off the pitch will be able to attract players that fit those requirements remains to be seen, but these are some realistic suggestions of players who fit the bill.

Option One – Jonny Smith

Team: Burton Albion

Wages: £2k

Contract: 2023

Estimated Cost: Free Transfer

Overview: Perhaps a surprising name to start the list with but one I think could turn out to be a bit of a steal. Jonny Smith is confirmed to be leaving Burton Albion and whilst a move to a ‘bigger team’ might be unexpected I have reason to believe it could work. Compared to other League One wingers Smith shines as a creative, ball progressing star who’d add more technical quality to our forward line. A good crosser of the ball and set piece taker too, the main attraction for me is the fact he’s left footed. Adding that variety to the team alongside his technical quality and ball carrying ability would be really smart business and proof that bargains are out there if you look for them. On the face of it a player released by Burton might not sound the most exciting signing but the data suggests he could shine in a side that see more of the ball. When you consider he put those numbers up in a side that only averaged 44% of the ball makes it even more impressive. He’ll have plenty of suitors but I’d like to think we’ll be one of the bigger clubs in for him.

Option Two – Tommy Leigh

Team: Accrington Stanley

Wages: £1k

Contract: 2024

Estimated Cost: £100k-£250k

Overview: You can add Tommy Leigh to the list of non-league talents that John Coleman has turned into EFL stars. The Accrington frontman is a versatile player who could play as a striker, but I think he’d make a wonderful attacking midfielder behind a more athletic 9. At 6’2 he’s very much in the Will Keane mould and could be the perfect understudy to Latics’ top scorer, or even a replacement if he moves on this summer. The graphic above is comparing him to other strikers but his passing and creative numbers are still very impressive and suggest he’d fit in well as part of a fluid front three, something we’ve seen Keane be used in a lot. He’s a goal threat from deeper areas and decent in the air as you’d imagine given his height, but not necessarily a profile we need to bring in right now. I’d say he’s probably the perfect replacement for Keane should he leave and wouldn’t cost much money at all, but for now I’d be looking elsewhere. A very good player though, keep an eye out for him.

Option Three – Harvey Knibbs

Team: Cambridge United

Wages: £1k

Contract: 2023

Estimated Cost: Free Transfer

Overview: Harvey Knibbs will be leaving Cambridge United this summer after over 150 games for the club and I think a move up the League One ladder could be in store. The 24 year old is a real goal scoring threat and is at his best in and around the penalty, working in little spaces to fire off shots or set up teammates regularly. He was used as an inside forward on the left quite often for Cambridge but can also play centrally so would be a good replacement for Scully / Lang depending on whether or not either get offers, but I could also see him slotting in in the ‘Will Keane role’ as the second striker. He underperformed his xG last season which suggests that he gets into the right areas but lacks the end product, however you’d like to think that’ll change with time and we could have a real goal scorer on our hands if it does. I imagine he’ll have plenty of interest and may choose to stay down South but he’s a player I’ve liked ever since I saw him at the DW in 2022 and I’d love us to bring him in.

Option Four – Sam Smith

Team: Cambridge United

Wages: £2k

Contract: 2023

Estimated Cost: Free Transfer

Overview: Another player on his way out of Cambridge is talented goal scorer Sam Smith, who like his teammate Harvey Knibbs has sort of outgrown the U’s. Smith netted 12 league goals last season and can play as a no9 or as an inside forward on the right wing, and it’s the latter that I think he would work well as at Latics. Smith is left footed so fits the profile I’m looking for and his versatility means we should be able to guarantee him plenty of game time despite us being well stocked in attacking areas. Smith isn’t particularly quick or creative which are two pretty big holes in his skillset but this side of his game would improve in a team where he wouldn’t be the main goal threat. Lots of Cambridge attacks were centred around getting Smith the ball in shooting positions so he didn’t have to be particularly creative, but I do believe he has quality to offer with his link up play. I initially had him down on my striker shortlist but the lack of pace made me change that, I’d instead choose to play him as a wide forward cutting in from the right.

Option Five – Carlos Mendes Gomes

Team: Luton Town

Wages: £4k

Contract: 2023

Estimated Cost: Free Transfer

Overview: Another fantastically versatile forward Latics could pick up for nothing this summer is Carlos Mendes Gomes. He’s impressed on loan at Fleetwood last season and if we could tempt him back up to the North West it could be really smart business in the short and long term. At 24 he’s still got lots of development in him but he’s already a powerful, quick and technically gifted forward who can do a bit of everything in attacking areas. He runs with the ball really nicely and his close control makes it very hard to dispossess him, a quality lacking in our team at the moment. When he gets into passing / crossing areas his end product is usually on the money and that should continue to improve working under Maloney and his coaches. Perhaps not as much of a goal threat as he could be but providing we bring in a quality no9 this summer there won’t be too much pressure on CMG to score all the goals and that could suit a player like him who plays best when the shackles are off and he can play his natural game. If he’s available on a free we should go all out for him, just look at the graphic above…

Option Six- Chem Campbell

Team: Wolves

Wages: £4k

Contract: 2026

Estimated Cost: Loan

Overview: Wolves youngster Chem Campbell has made a name for himself in the EFL with a decent loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers. The 20 year old joined the Chairboys in January and put in some decent performances in a team that experienced change when long time manager Gareth Ainsworth moved on to QPR. He’s a direct dribbler who’s keen to take on his man and would be very useful on the counter attack because of his pace and flair, qualities we really lack at the moment. He’s more of a scorer than a creator and get’s himself into really good shooting areas, as seen with his high xG per shot. Whilst a quality I’d like to see added to the squad is long range shooting, it’s still important to have players who create high xG chances for themselves and others and Campbell would do so. His pace and trickery draws defenders towards him and creates space for others which again is something we don’t see enough with this current crop of players. He’s a natural winger and it might take some adapting to work as a slightly more narrow AM but it shouldn’t be too hard to do. A loan move would make a lot of sense.

Option Seven – Josh Martin

Team: Norwich City

Wages: £4k

Contract: 2023

Estimated Cost: Free Transfer

Overview: Josh Martin’s career has hit a bit of a brick wall in the past 18 months and he needs to find a way of getting it back on track. Since his loan spell at Doncaster Rovers, which is where the data above is taken from, he’s struggled for game time and has been released by Norwich. At Donny he was a chance creating, ball carrying, shot taking dynamo and was one of the division’s most exciting forwards. When you consider his crossing was also strong and he was very comfortable in possession you can see why I think Latics should be bringing him in. He couldn’t break into the MK Dons attack last season which is fair enough and Barnsley haven’t played wingers this season so game time has been limited at Oakwell for him. At 21 there’s still a lot of development left in him and I really think this is the type of player we need to be signing. Young, hungry, damaged goods to some extent so might not have as much interest as he could, and a free transfer. There is virtually no risk in this signing.

Option Eight – Ethan Galbraith

Team: Manchester United

Wages: £4k

Contract: 2023

Estimated Cost: Free Transfer

Overview: I wasn’t sure whether to include Ethan Galbraith in the CMs or AMs article but I’ve gone for this one as I think he’s the most logical replacement if somebody like Jamie McGrath is sold. A creative no10 who’s very tidy in possession and incisive with his passing, he’s spent the season impressing at Salford City and will be available for nothing this summer. He could play deeper as an 8 but might be better suited to a more free role higher up the pitch where he can show his vision, decision making and technical quality. Again, exactly the age range we should be looking at, completely low risk to give him a relatively cheap wage on a 3/4 year deal and immediately add sell on value to the club. If he continues to improve and impress he’ll be worth a decent sum of money in a couple of years time, as well as being able to play a big part in our first team in the short-medium term.

Option Nine – Tyreik Wright

Team: Plymouth Argyle

Wages: £4k

Contract: 2025

Estimated Cost: Loan

Overview: A pacey, left footed option to kill two birds with one stone in terms of the missing profiles, Tyreik Wright may well be available on loan this summer following Plymouth’s promotion to the Championship. He didn’t set League One alight in the second half of last season but his spell on loan at Bradford in the first half of the campaign was very impressive and proof that he can shine when given game time. Really impressive in terms of chance creation, 0.18xA per 90 is really good as is the 0.15xG per 90. To be contributing 0.33 to the team’s xG every game is pretty staggering and something Latics could really do with. The left footedness makes him even more interesting to me and his pace makes him a threat on the counter attack too. I’d suggest he’s still a bit raw and might not be ready to feature week in week out but a cheap loan move could make a lot of sense.

Option Ten – Luke Thomas

Team: Barnsley

Wages: £4k

Contract: 2023

Estimated Cost: Free Transfer

Overview: To finish the main shortlist I’ve gone for another left footed forward who could solve that problem in our squad. Luke Thomas is out of contract this summer at Barnsley (their retained list hasn’t been released yet) so there could be a chance he moves on and Latics would be a decent destination for him. He’s good on the ball and wouldn’t struggle to adapt to Maloney’s style of play thanks to his solid technical attributes. He can play anywhere across the forward line but is probably best as an inside forward on the right where he can cut inside and fire efforts in on goal. Would say he’s similar to Lang and Scully in that sense, might not offer as much as others in terms of creativity but always seems to make things happen when in possession. Decent speed and agility to use in 1v1 duels, there’s plenty to like about him and as a cheap free transfer it could work nicely.

Loan Options

Option One: Cameron Congreve. Swansea City. Left footed creative winger, struggling for game time at Swansea and may well need a League One loan to prove himself. I really like him.

Option Two: Luca Barrington. Brighton. 14 goal involvements in 24 U21 games this season, former Man City youth who is really impressing on the South Coast. His level might be higher than League One though.

Option Three: Louie Barry. Aston Villa. Spent the season on loan at Salford City and been pretty decent, not sure if he’d improve the squad enough to justify inclusion on the main shortlist but decent option nevertheless.

Option Four: Ben Cottrell. Arsenal. Similar player to the aforementioned Congreve, left footed option at AM with good technical attributes and pace. Set piece taker too which is nice.

Option Five: Kaide Gordon. Liverpool. Speedy winger, left footed but a natural on both wings and could play centrally too. Inside forward type, similar to Lang and Scully in terms of profile. Has some injury problems that might hold him back from a loan move higher up the EFL.

Option Six: Charlie Reilly. Albion Rovers (For Now). Young Scottish winger who has shone in the Scottish fourth tier (20g, 14a) that’s seen him linked with moves to the SPL. If he gets that move a loan away to Latics could be interesting.

Conclusion

There are lots of options available of course but I feel like these are some of the best I could find. I think it’s important to note that this position isn’t of immense importance, we should absolutely be prioritising other areas of the squad but there are a few missing profiles in attacking midfield that we should try and recruit.

Players like Jonny Smith, Tyreik Wright and Luke Thomas would all add a left footed option to the side which would be ideal to replace the outgoing Danel Sinani. Cameron Congreve, Ben Cottrell and Kaide Gordon would all do the same and could well be available on loan if promised decent game time, which I would hope they would be.

Another thing we’re lacking is direct dribbling ability and pace, something Chem Campbell, Josh Martin and Carlos Mendes Gomes would all provide. They’d all be good signings, especially the latter two who would be permanent pick ups and could be sold on for serious profit later down the line.

Then there are players who could offer similar to what we already have, maybe in case we lose some of the players we already have. Tommy Leigh and Harvey Knibbs would be good replacements for Will Keane but could also play other roles too. Sam Smith, Louie Barry and Luca Barrington would be excellent options to deputise for Callum Lang or Anthony Scully, whilst Ethan Galbraith and someone like Ruben Rodrigues from Notts County are the creative no10s who’d perform the role of Jamie McGrath.

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They’re my suggestions, now its over to you! Do you like the sound of any of these players, if so which ones and why! Which players weren’t mentioned that you think should’ve been and why? Feel free to leave any feedback on my twitter account @danwafc03!