Wigan Athletic 2024/25 Sensible Transfers – Attacking 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

Thelo Aasgaard // 21-years-old // £2,500 p/w

Chris Sze // 20-years-old // £1,500 p/w

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

Jonny Smith is the only natural winger currently contracted to the club, and if his end of season form is anything to go by he’s definitely worthy of a starting spot on the right wing next season. Thelo Aasgaard and Chris Sze are two excellent number 10s, and both have different skillsets which I like. Thelo could play deeper or off the left wing, while Sze is an out and out number 10 who shouldn’t be used elsewhere. This is a huge season for him.

Jordan Jones and Callum McManaman would definitely add quality to our attacking options if they sign extended deals at the club, but at the time of writing neither have done so. Working on the assumption that they don’t it’s clear that we need more options in attacking areas.

Budget

The departures of Stephen Humphrys and Martial Godo reportedly free up £10,000 p/w on the wage bill, and that number would be doubled to £20,000 p/w if Jones and McManaman don’t stay on at the club. We need investment in this area, so I’ll be putting aside £16,000 p/w to recruit four players if Jones and McManaman leave. If only Jones leaves I’ll look for three players on less than £12,000 p/w, and if neither leave there will be £8,000 p/w to sign two players.

Again I will be prioritising free transfers and loans, but am not against spending a transfer fee if the player is good enough. This position ties into my recently released Wing Backs / Wide Midfielders piece, so the budgets could merge into one if the right player comes along.

Criteria

We need a few different types of attacking midfielder this summer. Regardless of what happens with Jones and McManaman I want one direct 1v1 dribbler who carries the ball at pace and offers a deadly threat on the counter attack. Ideally this player will be right-footed as they will be used as a direct replacement for Godo. Then I want a more creative attacking midfielder who can play wide or centrally, and offers us a set-piece option as well as match-winning moments of magic. This player ideally would be left-footed, but that’s less important than the 1v1 dribbler being a ‘righty.’

A lot of players in my Wing Backs / Wide Midfielders article are options I would consider for this position too. I may mention a few of them again, but focusing much more on their work as an out and out winger, rather than the hybrid wing back role that Jordan Jones played a lot last season. With a switch to a back four likely they may only be needed as traditional wingers, so I’ll look at their suitability for that here too.

Jordan Jones and Callum McManaman will both need replacing if they depart, but both would come under the ‘direct winger’ category. Adding pace and 1v1 threat is vital this summer.

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Direct Wingers

Disclaimer // When searching for players capable of providing what I want from a direct 1v1 winger it became quite apparent that two of the very best realistic options were… Callum McManaman and Jordan Jones. Resigning them should be a priority, but we definitely need a younger player who can step up to the plate when those two come to the end of their careers. Martial Godo also comes up quite well from a data perspective, so it appears we did quite well recruitment wise last season!

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

Right, in case I didn’t make it clear enough in my Wing Backs / Wide Midfielders article, I really rate Phoenix Patterson. He can play in a number of roles down the left wing, and should absolutely be our top target this summer in my opinion. What Phoenix can do with the ball at his feet excites supporters, and if given freedom and confidence to run at his man time after time I have no doubt he can be really special. He’s quick, can take the ball on both sides and is smart with his decision making when he gets into the final third. His crossing, which he can do well with both feet, regularly finds a teammate, while he’s also confident with long-range shooting. Phoenix Patterson would make us so much better, and we have to try our best to bring him in.

So yeah… I rate him quite highly! He fits perfectly into our two main systems, is young and talented with plenty of potential, and shouldn’t cost much money compared to what he’ll be worth later down the line. It’s a move we have to make.

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

It’s another player that I’ve already covered in the Sensible Transfer series, but he’s another player who is absolutely brilliant. Jayden Fevrier is box office with the ball at his feet and has the ability to do things that very few others do, which immediately makes him exciting. As direct, 1v1 wingers go he’s one of the best around and if he can work on his end product he’ll have a career at the top end of the EFL without a doubt. He’s by no means wasteful, and can cross and shoot well with both feet, but for a player who beats his man so regularly and so easily you want more. Fevrier could genuinely create three or four chances a game, directly or indirectly, if he improves his decision making and that’s really, really exciting.

We haven’t had a player like this since Yanic Wildschut, and we all know how fun that was. Importantly as well, Fevrier has the potential to develop into a player that bigger clubs would be willing to pay big bucks for. You can’t coach the natural abilities that Fevrier has, and we have to invest in that.

Option Three – Will Jarvis (21-years-old)

An original suggestion here (at last), and a really good one too in my opinion. Will Jarvis has found a home during his loan spell at Shelbourne, but has probably outgrown the level and is ready to forge a career in the EFL. He’s a tall winger, and is quite upright when he carries the ball which gives him a good understanding of his teammate’s positions while moving at speed. That ability to create without standing still is quite rare, as you’ll find a lot of players slow down before making their final decision with the ball. He’s comfortable with both feet, regularly bamboozles defenders with his movement and just looks really tricky to defend against. He scores, creates, and can play in a number of attacking positions, so what’s not to love?

Jarvis is currently on loan in Ireland and will be until the winter, so I guess that could cause problems signing him immediately. However, Hull could recall him and sell him to us if we offer enough, and that would be a very decent bit of business from Latics.

Option Four – Jordan Gibson (26-years-old)

Carlisle United didn’t have many positives last season, but it’s fair to say Jordan Gibson was one of them. The versatile midfielder played centrally and on both wings last season, and he’d add a great option to our squad. That said, I really like him off the left as a ‘winger’ who occupies the half space and allows the left back to overlap him. His combination play is intelligent, and his tendency to drift inside can cause chaos in the opposition defensive structure. Gibson’s physical attributes, particularly his acceleration and agility, give him an edge over most defenders in the league and it allows him to get on the ball in dangerous areas. From those spaces he is a high-volume shooter and chance creator, topping the charts for pretty much every attacking metric.

Gibson will be leaving Carlisle this summer, and a move back to League One seems inevitable. Latics could do with adding versatility in attacking areas, and this creative force could be a great pick up for absolutely nothing.

Option Five – Lewis Koumas (18-years-old)

I’m sure someone out there can name me some father-son combinations that have both played for Wigan Athletic. The closest I can think of is Steve (manager) and Alex (player) Bruce, but I’m probably wrong. Anywayyy, Lewis Koumas looks well placed to replicate his father Jason’s career, and has shown a lot of promise already. He’s a really direct player who just wants the ball at all times, and wants to make things happen whenever possible. Be it trying tricks, playing one-twos or sweeping passes out to the opposite wing, he’s more creative than he maybe gets credit for, and that’s because his main attribute is his deadly finishing. He’s so good in front of goal, and would be a real goal threat off the left for us. He’d maybe need someone more defensive behind him to cover, but Luke Robinson fits that profile nicely.

Koumas may end up going on loan higher up the football pyramid, but I really think League One for a season would be beneficial. He’d play regularly and be tested in a number of ways, not least off the ball in Shaun Maloney’s side. He needs developing, and after all… just look at how well we did with Luke Chambers!

Option Six – Kwadwo Baah (21-years-old)

I think Kwadwo Baah’s career probably hasn’t progressed as much as it could have done, and he needs a breakthrough season somewhere. Perhaps more importantly, he needs to play in a team that play to his strengths and don’t limit him, or ask him to do things he’s not as good at. He’s best when left 1v1 with a defender or with space to run into at pace, and with how we use our wide players he’d be given that opportunity regularly. Baah strikes me as a confidence player, and if Maloney can give him the same freedom he gave Martial Godo last year it could really benefit the former-Rochdale youngster. He has the raw attributes to be a really good winger, but just needs the time and confidence to develop them further.

Providing we aren’t asked to cover more than half of his wages I’d be considering this move for sure. He’s from the area so would settle in well, and should be given plenty of opportunities in our first team.

Notable Mentions

Jovan Malcolm // 21-years-old // West Bromwich Albion (Loan)

Josh Martin // 22-years-old // Free Agent (Formerly of Portsmouth)

Lewis Dobbin // 21-years-old // Everton (Loan)

Aidan Fitzpatrick // 23-years-old // Partick Thistle (OOC)

Amadou Diallo // 21-years-old // Newcastle United (Loan)

Franco Umeh // 18-years-old // Crystal Palace (Loan)

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Creative Midfielders

Option One – Cameron Congreve (20-years-old)

Cameron Congreve has featured as a notable mention in recent years, but this year I’m going all in on the Swansea man. That might seem strange as he’s not played any first team football this season, but profile wise he could not be more what I’m looking for. Left footed, great vision, composure and decision making with the ball, brilliant technique and ball striking and a deadly set-piece delivery. The key for Congreve is putting all of those qualities together regularly, but that will come with game time. The biggest limitation is a lack of real athleticism, and he’s not particularly quick. He can play wide but is a lot more of a creative player and suits the right half space perfectly, drifting between central and wide midfield positions and causing chaos.

I really want us to sign Cameron Congreve. He needs game time, he plays in a position we’re short in, and suits our style down to the ground. A loan is definitely doable, and don’t rule out a permanent move if he’s fed up of his lack of minutes in South Wales.

Option Two – Jack Nolan (22-years-old)

It’s been a hell of a season for Jack Nolan, and he’s done enough to earn himself a move into League One in my opinion. With 17 goals and 8 assists it’s fair to say he came good for Accy, and proved deadly when cutting in from the right wing. His willingness to receive the ball in deep areas and pockets of space make him hard to mark, and from these positions he can create chances and shooting opportunities with his excellent end product. He’s definitely another player whose played out wide but suits the W / AM hybrid role that Thelo has impressed in on the other side. Nolan is a reliable penalty and set piece taker too, a quality we need to add to our side for sure. He scores and he creates. That’s what we want, and that’s what he provides.

We could use our geography to our advantage with this one, and the fact his contract is up at Accy means it should be a fairly simple deal to do. He’ll be wanted by plenty of League One teams, but we’d be a great fit for him.

Option Three – Chris Conn-Clarke (22-years-old)

There has been a lot of talk about Chris Conn-Clarke during the last few months, and rightly so. He was absolutely brilliant in the National league last season, netting 23 goals and providing 12 assists from the number ten role at Altrincham in a genuinely fantastic showing. His small build had me thinking he was a lightweight flair player, but in truth he’s actually very robust and doesn’t get physically dominated as much as he probably should do. His low centre of gravity is a huge advantage when it comes to making space for himself to shoot or play passes, and all together he’s a very decent player. The level of his performances were that of a League One player, and as such that’s probably the level he’ll move to this season.

I’m slightly stand-offish about splashing out the fee Altrincham will ask for, because there is a worry he’s just had a purple patch. He’s also quite similar to Chris Sze and Thelo Aasgaard so I’m not convinced we need him, but it would have felt wrong not including him on this list because he is very good.

Option Four – Lewis Smith (24-years-old)

Lewis Smith has been playing really well for Hamilton Academical recently, and my guess is the interest in him has ramped up as a result. He’s a really willing ball carrier who wants the ball at his feet at all times, and rightly so because he’s really talented with it. Despite being naturally left footed, Smith is more than comfortable taking the ball on his right and doesn’t let his footedness limit his passing range. That’s something I really like from a creative midfielder because it makes him a 360 player, and the way he disguises his passes is fantastic. There are some moments where he can be more clever with his decision making, but that’s not uncommon with younger players. Also, I quite like that he’s a high volume shooter too as we’ve seen the benefit of that with Jonny Smith last season.

I’m not 100% sure on his contract status, but all of the official sources say 2024 so I’m going with that. If that’s true he’s got to be set for a move, and if we went calling I think we’d have enough to make the move happen. He’d be a really cool signing in my opinion.

Option Five – Jack Lankester (24-years-old)

I’m quite surprised that Jack Lankester has been transfer listed by Cambridge United because I wouldn’t be surprised to see him move to a club with loftier ambitions. The former Ipswich Town forward has a really nice skillset which he maybe hasn’t been able to showcase in a Cambridge side that don’t play in a way that lends itself to creative attacking midfielders. He started his career as a striker, but I really like him playing off a number nine, very similarly to how Chris Sze likes to do. The fact he’s left footed is a real plus as it means we can have a similar profile of player for both sides of the pitch, which opens up all sorts of angles that would have been closed otherwise. His finishing is very solid, and he has all of the attributes to improve our side noticeably.

Lankester has been transfer listed so I’m guessing Cambridge are keen to get rid of him. If there’s some money lying about and we want a more ‘Shadow Striker’ type number ten he’s the man for the job.

Option Six – Luca Barrington (19-years-old)

We signed a really exciting winger on loan from the PL2 last season in Martial Godo, and someone like Luca Barrington has the potential to make a similar impact with a temporary move into the EFL. I saw him play for Man City under-21s during his time there, and since his move to Brighton he seems to have developed further into a really exciting winger. He’s definitely better out wide, but rather than being a direct dribbler he’s much more useful when he’s drifting inside and linking play up in and around the penalty area. He’s a good finisher, crosser and dribbler, all of which he does best from the left wing with his right foot. I’ve not seen much of him centrally at all, but I’ve just got the hunch that he’d be good there.

It’s not the perfect fit for what I want in this role, but he could become it. There’s no doubt about his quality, and if we want one player who covers both roles I’m looking for he may well be the best option.

Notable Mentions

Noah Chilvers // 23-years-old // Colchester United (OOC, In Discussions)

JJ McKiernan // 22-years-old // Morecambe (OOC: 30/06/2024)

Brandon Kavanagh // 23-years-old // St Patrick’s Athletic (£50k – £150k)

Rocco Vata // 19-years-old // Celtic (Loan)

Ben Woodburn // 24-years-old // Preston North End (OOC: 30/06/2024)

Kaide Gordon // 19-years-old // Liverpool (Loan)

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Conclusion

Latics need at least one player from each category, and that number is subject to change depending on the contract situations with Jordan Jones and Callum McManaman. We have to add variety to our forward line and it’s vital that we sign players capable of adding goals to our side.

For me the ideal combination would be Phoenix Patterson and Cameron Congreve, or Jayden Fevrier and Jack Nolan. I’d be delighted with either of those duos because they add everything we need to the team and offer things we simply don’t have in the current squad. Jordan Gibson, Will Jarvis and Jack Lankester are all players I really like, and could be worthwhile investments if we wants to add versatility to our attacking midfield positions. Loanee options like Lewis Koumas, Kwadwo Baah and Luca Barrington are all due breakout seasons temporarily elsewhere.

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Scenario One

Jordan Jones and Callum McManaman both renew their contracts, and money is made available to sign one ‘Direct Winger’ and one ‘Creative Midfielder’ on less than £8,000 p/w combined

Scenario Two

Jordan Jones and Callum McManaman both renew their contracts, but the budget to sign one ‘Direct Winger’ and one ‘Creative Midfielder’ is more restricted, and both must be signed for free on less than £8,000 p/w combined

Scenario Three

Callum McManaman renews his contract, and Jordan Jones leaves. Money is made available to sign at least one ‘Direct Winger’ and one ‘Creative Midfielder’ on less than £12,000 p/w combined

Scenario Four

Callum McManaman renews his contract, and Jordan Jones leaves. No money is made available to sign at least one ‘Direct Winger’ and one ‘Creative Midfielder’, and they all must be signed for free on less than £12,000 p/w combined

Scenario Five

Neither one of Jordan Jones and Callum McManaman renew their contracts. Money is made available to sign two ‘Direct Wingers’ and two ‘Creative Midfielders’ on less than £16,000 p/w combined

Scenario Six

Neither one of Jordan Jones and Callum McManaman renew their contracts. No money is made available to sign two ‘Direct Wingers’ and two ‘Creative Midfielders’, and all four must be signed for free on less than £16,000 p/w combined

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!