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Roberto gets £5million to spend
Dave Whelan
ROBERTO Martinez has been given the green light by Dave Whelan to splash the cash in an attempt to preserve Wigan Athletic’s Premier League status.
The Wigan boss is on the verge of making a double swoop on the Championship, after his chairman sanctioned the £5million outlay.
Birmingham winger Jean Beausejour looks like being the first arrival, the Chilean’s representatives having spent much of yesterday in talks with Latics officials thrashing out personal terms.
Martinez has twice failed to bring Beausejour to the DW in the past, but looks set to make it third time lucky for a fee of around £3million.
Contrary to reports, however, it’s not a ‘done-deal’ as the move also hinges on the player being granted a new work permit.
Also poised to arrive at Wigan is Bristol City hot-shot Nicky Maynard, who has been given permission to speak to Latics despite a fee not having yet been agreed.
Maynard, who was the subject of a £6million bid from Leicester last summer, has less than six months remaining on his contract at Ashton Gate.
And that has allowed Latics to make their move for around a third of that valuation, with City anxious to claw back as much of the £2.25million they paid Crewe in 2008 rather than lose him for nothing in the summer.
“Discussions to finalise a fee with the Premier League club are at an advanced stage,” City announced last night. “The club now awaits news of talks between Wigan and the player.”
Maynard trained with the rest of his City team-mates yesterday, but those talks with Wigan could take place later today with the City players having been given the day off.
Martinez refused to comment on individual targets during his local press briefing yesterday, but admitted time was running out ‘to get things done’.
“You’re not going to stop rumours at this time of the year – it’s the nature of the beast,” he said.
“But now is the time to get things done, and we need to take advantage of whatever opportunities may present themselves to us.
“One or two new faces would be perfect at this moment in time, and that’s what our work off the field is geared towards – to try to make that happen.”
Meanwhile, Hugo Rodallega has confirmed he will remain with Latics until the end of the season before leaving on a free transfer.
“I can already say these are my last three months with Wigan,” Rodallega told Caracol Radio.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 6 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Rob Neville
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 04:54 PMPersonally i think it will require more than money to rectify the problems here, but lets just hope that the money is not squandered on lackluster personnel...time and good results are more valuable at the moment.
WAFC1
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 04:52 PMYou must have missed to point when it was stated Latics have steadily reduced losses and are on course to break even, it's clear to see from our squad how high earners have been moved on. The only suprise to me is how some other clubs don't have squads a great deal better, will be perenial relegation struggles, yet are still losing money like a siev.
Scarecrow
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 04:25 PMWAFC When are you going to get it into your head that the Latic's have on going debts and Dave Whelan cannot keep wiping them off by turning them into equity.
WAFC1
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 03:05 PM£5m probably isn't enough to sort things and probably better spent rebuilding for next season, then again I wouldn't like to think Latics had £120m of debt around our necks like BOlton or the banks dictating terms like Blackburn. Moses incidently has 1.5 to 2 years left on his deal and I don't think he's performed to his best, Gomex has arguably been better. With Rodallega I doubt we'd be willing to match his reported £40,000 wage demands, Diame will no doubt be a loss as he's a class player who only cost £1m.
Tizwaz25
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 01:42 PMBulls**t Bob will need more than £5 million to sort this lot out. 2 chronically slow centre backs, Gutless Gomes in midfield alongside sideways passers with no pace, no goals from up front from open play....only a goalie playing out of his skin to keep the goal difference reasonable and Moses. How does 5 million sort out that lot!!!! If you sold Gutless Gomes, Caldwell, Gohouri, Figueroa you'd only get 3 Lucky Bags and wishful memories for them. So it looks like Moses, Rodellega, Diame to run down their contracts. By then, our destiny will be well and truly decided. No vision, no heart, no hope, no chance !!
Stuart T
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 12:57 PMGood news - Dave be careful as the Mirror are reporting this: Premier League clubs have been warned to sort out their dire finances. At UEFA's summit on financial fair play, it was revealed that the total losses across Europe's top-flight clubs was £1.33billion in 2010 - up from £1bn. Wigan must be one of the best run clubs in PL, lets hope we can stay up.
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