Wigan’s recent transfer business shows how committed the club’s ownership are to delivering success for Shaun Maloney
Wigan Athletic secured the permanent acquisition of Dion Rankine from Chelsea on Wednesday, capping off a successful start to the transfer season.
The Latics signed offensive wing-back Rankine after Michael Olakigbe and Calvin Ramsay, two Premier League players, on loan from Brentford and Liverpool, respectively.
After a challenging season last year that included an eight-point deduction and a transfer embargo, the Latics must have a productive summer in order to pursue a 2024–25 promotion.
Shaun Maloney, the manager, recently stated to Wendy Today, “I would like to have as much of the squad – 90 per cent of the squad – with us starting pre-season.”
This is a direct message to Ben Goodburn, the chairman, and owner Mike Danson telling them to assist the team in wrapping up their transfer transaction as quickly as possible.
Rankine deal shows that Latics ownership are committed to fulfilling Maloney’s wish
The Latics manager is anxious to get his transfer business done as soon as possible because he wants to keep playing possession-based football at Brick Community Stadium, a philosophy that calls for a particular type of player.
Even though June is just halfway through, the club’s ownership group has already permitted Maloney to bring in three Premier League players: Olakigbe and Ramsay on loan, as well as Rankine on a permanent contract.
Supporters of the Latics who want to see their team contend for play-off spots the following season should be thrilled with these acquisitions, which come from the best players in the English game.
Rankine came through the Chelsea junior academy and had first-rate training in football. Fortunately for his new team, he also has League One experience, having made 33 appearances for Exeter City during a loan period the previous season.
| Dion Rankine 2023/24 League One stats according to FotMob | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 33 |
| Starts | 21 |
| Tackles won (%) | 68.4 |
| Pass accuracy (%) | 78.5 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Goals | 1 |
Ramsay, who has competed for Aberdeen in the Europa Conference League, Liverpool in the Champions League, and the Scotland national team, is another exceptionally talented addition to the third division team.
The Latics have enjoyed positive relationships with several Premier League teams during Maloney’s tenure thus far. The manager will be happy that Brentford and Liverpool agreed to work with his team again this summer, following their respective loans of Luke Chambers and Charlie Goode to the Greater Manchester team last summer.
If the Latics can manage to get in players of this caliber, the Brick Community Stadium may see a thrilling 2024–2025 campaign.
The Latics still require additional support.
Maloney and company still have a lot of work ahead of them this summer in terms of assembling Wigan’s roster for the upcoming campaign, despite the fact that the club has clearly started the transfer market well.
The Latics’ roster, which is primarily made up of youth academy graduates who made the transition to the first team under the transfer ban last season, is still smaller than that of most of its League One competitors.
The losses of Charlie Wyke, Josh Magennis, and Stephen Humphrys, which have left the Latics with only inexperienced teenage forwards Josh Stones and Chris Sze, mean that the squad will need to add a new striker.
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