Opinion: Wigan Athletic should look elsewhere amid recent transfer links

Having secured promotion to the Championship, it looks set to be a busy summer ahead for Wigan Athletic.

The Latics had an excellent League One campaign, being crowned champions of the division, but will need re-enforcements if they are to remain a second-tier side beyond next season.

The summer has not even arrived yet, but still the transfer rumours are beginning to swirl.

The latest man to be linked with a move to the DW Stadium is Sheffield Wednesday striker Lee Gregory.

That’s according to the Daily Mail, who name Wigan as one of a few clubs interested in securing the forward’s services.

Whilst Gregory certainly had a good campaign in League One – particularly in the latter stages, Wigan Athletic should avoid bringing him to the club this summer.

Despite his 16 goals in the third tier this campaign, the Latics would be best served looking elsewhere, with Gregory having previously shown that he is not as prolific at Championship level as he is in League One.

In 183 second-tier appearances across five seasons, Gregory has scored just 40 goals – an average of eight goals per season.

Comparing this to his numbers in League One – 51 goals in 114 appearances across three seasons – there is a clear drop off from his third-tier average of 17 per season.

That’s perhaps what you’d expect given the leap in abilities between the two leagues, but with Wigan having just been promoted, his inability to carry his goals into the division above should be a concern.

As should Gregory’s age considering that Wigan would be required to pay a transfer fee to secure his services this summer.

Gregory has one year left on his deal at Hillsborough, and given that he turns 34-years-old in August, Wigan should be reluctant to pay a transfer fee