Maloney and his colleagues will be willing to continue Tickle’s services.
Wigan Athletic had a successful 2023/24 League One season, finishing 12th in the third tier league despite a points deduction and a transfer embargo.
The Latics’ transfer embargo has been lifted for the summer transfer window of 2024, and manager Shaun Maloney will be hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to bring new players to the club.
Maloney’s youthful players starred in the first team all season, and the 41-year-old will be hoping that new acquisitions during the summer may help the club compete for a 2024/25 play-off spot.
However, the Latics appear to be saying goodbye to some of its talented starlets this summer while also adding fresh assets to the squad, and these are the three players most likely to attract transfer interest:
Charlie Hughes
Charlie Hughes has impressed in center defence for the Latics, and at the age of 20, he has captained the team on several occasions, including a third-round FA Cup meeting against Manchester United. He has also played for England’s men’s Euro Elite Squad this season, and he contributes significantly to Maloney’s team’s back-line play. Hughes can also make a difference for his team, as evidenced by his spectacular 110th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers in January.
He is a strong defender who, according to FotMob, won 66.7% of tackles attempted during the 2023/24 League One season, as well as 64.2% of duels won.
Furthermore, he had an exceptional pass accuracy of 82.9% and shown his all-around talent by scoring four goals and assisting once in the third tier.
These are all traits that would make Hughes an excellent signing for potential suitors, and the 20-year-old has been connected with Ipswich Town, West Ham, and Brentford by The Independent, and interest in the England youth international is unlikely to fade over the summer.
Maloney’s men would want to maintain their academy graduate, but if a Premier League club comes calling, they will definitely be difficult to turn down.
Sam Tickle
Sam Tickle is perhaps the pinnacle of the Latics’ youth academy graduates who are now first-team regulars at the Brick Community Stadium.
The shot-stopper kept a clean sheet on his England Under-21s debut in March, when the Young Lions defeated Luxembourg 7-0 at Bolton Wanderers’ Toughsheet Community Stadium.
He has impressed between the stops for Maloney’s team throughout the 2023/24 season, keeping a total of 15 clean sheets while playing all 46 League One games.
On Thursday afternoon, the Latics announced that Tickle had signed a new contract with the club, keeping him at the Brick Community Stadium until 2028. This will make him difficult to move, but his talent suggests there will be plenty of interest.
Everton have expressed interest in the 22-year-old’s heroics, according to The Athletic, and Alan Nixon has linked Sunderland to the ace via Patreon as well.
If the Toffees recruit Tickle, the current Latics player is unlikely to see first-team action with the Merseyside club right away because to the presence of England ace Jordan Pickford.
Meanwhile, a move to the Black Cats could be reliant on the future of current number one Anthony Patterson, with the Newcastle Chronicle reporting that Liverpool is interested in the 24-year-old.
Similarly to Hughes, Maloney and co will be eager to keep Tickle on board, but considering the high-profile transfer ties, this may be a difficult task.
However, if Tickle moves to Goodison Park, the Latics may make a move to bring him back to the Brick Community Stadium on loan, a deal Everton may be ready to accept given Pickford’s clear standing as first choice.
However, the Black Cats and Toffees may be tempted to go elsewhere after the goalkeeper’s contract extension, as the Latics may want an exorbitant transfer fee.
Thelo Aasgaard
Thelo Aasgaard, a fan favourite at Latics, may not have as many external admirers as Hughes and Tickle, but his strong performances in the 2023/24 League One season may see him pursued by other clubs this summer.
The Norway Under-21 international had his most prolific season in front of goal to date in the 2023/24 League One season, scoring eight goals and assisting three times.
He made his first-team debut during the 2020/21 season, when the Latics were in administration, and he has since risen to be one of Wigan’s top players.
Supporters of the Greater Manchester club have long appreciated Aasgaard’s ability to score amazing goals from outside the box, but under Maloney’s management, he has discovered his poacher instinct.
During the 2023/24 season, the academy product demonstrated his potential to play as an attacking midfielder as well as a false nine, making him a desirable transfer target.
But Maloney will be eager to keep one of his best players, and with profits for Hughes and Tickle seeming certain, the Latics should be able to keep Aasgaard, who may be difficult to lure away from Wigan after signing a contract that runs until 2028.
