Wigan Athletic 2024/25 Sensible Transfers – Wing Backs / Wide Midfielders

Wigan Athletic have a huge summer ahead. After years of financial mismanagement we finally find ourselves in a stable position, from which we can build a squad capable of challenging at the top end of League One while also securing the financial future of the club.

A clear and aggressive recruitment philosophy has been implemented by Sporting Director, Gregor Rioch and Manager, Shaun Maloney. There is an emphasis on targeting younger players who have high potential, both in terms of their ability on the pitch and the money they could bring in for the club if sold on later down the line.

This has made writing this summer’s Sensible Transfers article so much more enjoyable, because I know we’re so much more likely to sign – what I would call – the right kind of player. I’ve been desperate for us to adopt this kind of recruitment policy for a while now, so this summer is going to be really exciting.

Across seven articles I will be putting forward several targets across a number of key positions that I believe would be excellent signings for Latics this summer. The scenarios and permutations of what might happen will be taken from my recent squad review articles, as well as the club’s recently released retained list.

If you haven’t already I would highly recommend you checking all of those articles out. Think of them as a ‘preview’ to these Sensible Transfers articles, as they have set the framework for the financial and positional criteria my potential targets have to fit within.

Finally, when all seven Sensible Transfers have been released there will be an additional article with an updated multi-scenario, forecasted squad depth chart alongside the rough finances involved.

Now then… let’s get cracking shall we?

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Current Options

Sean Clare // 27-years-old // £4,000 p/w

Steven Sessegnon // 23-years-old // £4,500 p/w

Jonny Smith // 26-years-old // £3,000 p/w

Two wing backs and two wingers, and all four of them are best on the right. In truth, only Steven Sessegnon is good enough to be a right wing back week in week out, and is also capable of doing a job on the left too when required. Sean Clare should play on the right of a back three if we play that system, and is better as a right back in a flat back four. He doesn’t have the game going forward to be an out and out wing back. Jonny Smith is a winger first, but did play that hybrid wing / wing back role last season. The right side is very solid and doesn’t need much work.

Tom Pearce’s exit leaves a hole at left back which I’ve covered in a separate article, but the fact that Jordan Jones’ future isn’t certain yet makes this article worth writing. If he goes, the impact will be felt all down the left wing. This shortlist is essentially aimed at finding a like for like replacement for him in case he leaves, as his profile is fairly rare, and there’s certainly nobody in our current squad who can do what he did for us.

Of course in an ideal world we retain Jordan , but we have to prepare for the fact that that might not happen. The players in this list prepare us for that scenario.

Budget

Jordan Jones was in and around the highest earners at the club, and his potential exit would reportedly free up £8,000 p/w on our wage bill. Assuming our plan is to reduce the wage bill considerably, all my targets will be realistically available for less than £5,000 p/w on wages. As the profile is fairly uncommon I am setting aside some of the money we generate from player sales to allow us to recruit the best options in this position too, as some will require a fee.

Criteria

First things first, this is an attacking profile that I’m searching for. Yes I want some form of defensive capabilities, but Jones only won around 50% of his duels so we aren’t exactly trying to replace anything special in that sense. However, his 8.44 dribbles per 90, which progressed the ball more than any wide player in the division last season, will be a huge miss. That combined with good end product made him our most dangerous attacking player, and at times he was our plan A, B and C going forward.

I want his replacement to be quick, direct, able to take the ball down the outside or inside of his opponent, and able to deliver crosses into the box from all angles. Defensive solidity can be taught, but a good base to work from would be handy too. I’ll also be focusing on their set-piece delivery, as we need to add specialists where possible, and of course they’ll need to be able to play as a traditional winger whenever we play with a back four.

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Option One – Phoenix Patterson (23-years-old)

Seeing Phoenix Patterson at the top of this list won’t come as a surprise to many, but it is with good reason. He’s basically spent the season playing in the exact same position as Jordan Jones, and was asked to do very similar things both in and out of possession. Obviously he was hampered by playing in a much poorer team, but his performances at times were that of a top end League One talent, and one who is not far off playing at that level consistently. He’s a talented ball carrier, but his main qualities are his vision and chance creation. He seems to find fashioning something from nothing quite easy, which is so important especially when trying to break down settled defences in low blocks. He’s a creative dynamo with a lot of raw attributes that could grow to make him really, really special.

Patterson is entering the final year of his contract at Fleetwood, who after relegation may be forced to cash in. We should have some money to spend, and in a specialist position like this you have to buy the best. The best, in this case, is Phoenix Patterson.

Option Two – Jayden Fevrier (21-years-old)

From relegation to League Two to just about surviving there, Colchester United’s Jayden Fevrier was close to becoming the most electrifying player in the National League. Thankfully for him and Colchester, but probably not for a side interested in buying him, they stayed up, which may make shifting him tough. However, if we want an out and out enigma on the wing who has the pace and power to get the better of any full back in the EFL, he’s the man we have to sign. His dribbling is mesmerising, and at times it looks like he’s not actually going as quickly as he’s capable of which I suppose is quite exciting. He shoots well with both feet, but maybe isn’t quite as impactful as he should be with his creativity. That said, he occupies more defenders than most which frees up others in better areas.

I really like the idea of someone like this at Latics. He’s got the raw talent, and with a bit of nurturing he could end up going for a lot of money in the future. He’s a natural in the role, and while he would be a bit expensive I value him highly. I don’t think Colchester turn down £300k, and he’d be worth that for sure.

Option Three – Will Ferry (23-years-old)

I know I’ve started with three lads whose teams have had brutal seasons, but they’ve all been standouts in their teams. Will Ferry is an energetic wide player who can go on either foot when taking his man on, which immediately fills the most unique hole left by Jordan Jones’ exit. His athleticism makes him really elusive and difficult to keep under wraps, so there’s always a feeling he’s about to do something noteworthy. Despite being a player more than capable of playing as an out and out attacking player, Ferry also has some really solid defensive skills which would sure up our left side no end. That combined with his tireless energy make him a nightmare for opponents, and a dream for your side. There’s a lot to like about the Bury-born man.

He’s out of contract at Cheltenham, and while they’ve made an offer to him I’m sure he’ll return to League One. We should absolutely be in for him, as he’d be a cheap and near-like for like replacement for our most difficult to replace (potentially) departing player. It’s the definition of a sensible transfer.

Option Four – Adam Mayor (19-years-old)

Adam Mayor’s move to Millwall will prove to be a great bit of business for The Lions, I’m sure about that. The versatile ‘lefty’ had a great start to the season for Morecambe, and proved himself as a talented creator with a deadly delivery off the wing. He’s quite basic in his methods, and there really isn’t much doubt about what he’s going to do when he gets the ball on the wing. That said, it’s so effective that it doesn’t matter, and very few players created more chances than him during the first half of the season in the EFL. The 19-year-old isn’t the most exciting in terms of pace or trickery, but he’s steady. That’s backed up by a defensive solidity uncommon with wingers, which makes me more confident in putting him forward for this role. At his age there’s no doubt he’ll improve throughout the campaign too.

Millwall may well want to keep him, but we could realistically offer him more game time which he definitely needs. A move back to the north west could suit him, and he’d definitely have something positive to offer us.

Option Five – Demetri Mitchell (27-years-old)

I’ll get the elephant in the room out of the way first… he’s a bit strange on social media. That aside there’s a lot to like about Demetri Mitchell on the pitch, and he’s another player who has played a very similar role to what we want in his career before. Unfortunately he picked up a nasty ACL injury last season which he’s still not quite recovered from, but should be back for the start of next season. A mobile wide player with bags of energy, Mitchell can use both feet well and is difficult to defend against 1v1 which I like. He can be a bit erratic in the final third, but nothing different to any other flair player outside of the elite bracket in world football. He’s a northern lad too, so a move back up near home could work for him.

There are some concerns around the injury, and his wage will be on the higher end of what we’ll want to offer I imagine, but he could be a decent option. His experience and ability isn’t far off Jordan Jones’.

Option Six – Nicky Cadden (27-years-old)

Barnsley’s season ended in play-off disappointment, and their squad feels like it needs a bit of a refresh. Part of that could see Nicky Cadden move on from Oakwell after a good spell in Yorkshire, and he’s still a very good operator at League One level. He’s been a creative spark for a number of seasons now, and really suits the role of a ‘free from shackles’ left sided player who has defensive responsibilities, but is mainly asked to impact the game in the attacking third. His defensive work has got better, and he’s probably become more wing back than winger recently, but I do think he’s a great profile match for the ‘Jones role.’ He might not be quite as dynamic, but there’s no denying his quality with the ball at his feet. His left foot is one of the best in the league.

His future at Barnsley is still yet to be decided at the time of writing, but if he does depart at the end of his contract he’ll be a highly-sought after player. If we want a more experienced option in the position he’s the man for the job.

Option Seven – Dayle Rooney (26-years-old)

Bohemians winger Dayle Rooney has had a great start to life at Dalymount Park, continuing his promising start to a career in the Irish Premier Division. He’s very much spent the majority of time as a winger, but has shown a capability to feature as a deeper left midfielder who juggles his attacking work with defensive responsibilities. He’s far and away from a natural off the ball, but is not far off Jordan Jones in a data comparison so that’s not too much of an issue. Going forward he’s exciting, with excellent end product and deliveries into the box from open play and set-pieces. I like that he’d be an extra playmaking option from out wide, and is definitely a more creative, forward-thinking player. He’d be great in our forward line too, which is a bonus.

Rooney would cost a fee, and if we were to spend money in this position I’d put some of the previous names ahead of him in the pecking order. However, he’d be cheap and is very talented, so definitely one to consider.

Option Eight – Owen Beck (21-years-old)

This one might end up looking like an overly-ambitious suggestion come the end of the transfer window, but I’m hoping we can bounce off of Luke Chambers’ excellent loan spell at Latics and bring another talented Liverpool youngster in. Owen Beck spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Dundee and looks a real talent across the board. He’s dynamic going forward, be that running with the ball at pace or playing intricate passes inside and getting the ball back with great movement. His delivery is really good as is his eye for a pass, but it is pretty one-footed. There’s not a lot of variation in that sense, but he’s still very effective. His defensive attributes are probably the best on this list too, as he’s the most natural wing back I’ve named.

He may have offers from clubs at a higher level, but if not we could do a lot worse than bring him in. He had an unsuccessful spell at Bolton a while ago, so maybe he can make it right on the better side of the A58. Has that ever been said before?

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Conclusion

If Jordan Jones does end up leaving this is one of the most important signings we’ll make this summer, especially if Maloney opts to keep his hybrid four / five at the back system. With our most dynamic attacking player leaving the club we have to find a good replacement, or our attacking play will really suffer. And as you can maybe tell by the fact there were only eight options put forward, it’s a really difficult role to scout for.

Phoenix Patterson feels like the ideal option for a number of reasons, as well as probably being the most realistic. He would cost a small fee, but we should be willing to spend money on players like him. The same goes for Jayden Fevrier, although that would be a harder deal to do. He’s the most exciting option on the list in my opinion. Will Ferry would be great, and may be favoured by the club as he’s available on a free transfer. The same goes for Demetri Mitchell and Nicky Cadden, who would both add experience and proven talent to our side. Dayle Rooney is an exciting option who shouldn’t cost too much, but I’d rather spend a little more on the first two if I’m honest. He’s a great player though, who’d be a success I’m sure. Adam Mayor and Owen Beck are two players who we could loan in and play anywhere down the left, but may have offers from elsewhere that they’d rather take.

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Scenario One

Jordan Jones leaves, a sizeable amount of money is made available for transfer fees, and one player is recruited for the position on a wage of less than £4,000 p/w

Scenario Two

Jordan Jones leaves, a smaller amount of money is made available for transfer fees, and one player is recruited for the position on a wage of less than £4,000 p/w

Scenario Three

Jordan Jones leaves, no money is made available for transfer fees, and one player is recruited for the position on a wage of less than £4,000 p/w

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Final Thoughts

Fair play if you have made it here! No one really knows what is going to happen at Latics this summer, but one thing that feels certain is that finances and sales will heavily dictate what unfolds in the coming months.

With Shaun Maloney and Gregor Rioch leading some smart recruitment, whatever financial deficit has to be covered this transfer window, if we go about things smartly, we can still be a competitive outfit on the pitch and push on from last season.

I have full faith we will do the right things as a club, and we are lucky to have the talented coaching staff in place who want to be at Wigan Athletic. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Up the Tics!