Scharner can go, says Whelan
Dave Whelan has revealed Latics are ready listen to offers for Paul Scharner – but the want-away Austrian and Antonio Valencia will be the only two stars allowed to leave Wigan this summer.
Scharner has signalled his intention to call time on his Wigan career in search of European football.
And chairman Whelan says Latics will not stand in the way of a player who has given sterling service since arriving from SK Brann in January, 2006.
Latics will be hoping to recoup around double the 2.5m Paul Jewell shelled out for the maverick midfielder/defender, whose infectious
personality and bizarre sense of style will not be forgotten in a hurry.
And Whelan admits he would be sorry to see the back of the 29-year-old.
"Paul Scharner is an unusual character, to say the least," Whelan said. "He is such a good player but he is an unusual lad.
"He has even said that if Steve Bruce came in for him, he wouldn't go to Sunderland because that was a backward step – which is a strange thing to say. But he is a one-off.
"I don't want Paul to go because he is a good player but if he came to me and asked me could he go, we would say yes."
Whelan expects to 'move on one or two' of the club's fringe first-team players, although integral figures such as Lee Cattermole and Titus Bramble will be staying despite reported interest from Bruce and
Sunderland.
"The other lads are not going anywhere – I think they will get behind Roberto Martinez," Whelan said. "The enthusiasm he will create is unbelievable."
The cash generated by the sales of Scharner and Valencia would further boost Martinez's spending power this summer, and Whelan is already
working on the 'priority list' handed him by his new boss.
Top of that list is believed to be Jordi Gomez, the Espanyol playmaker who made such a big impression under Martinez at Swansea last season.
Premier League newcomers Birmingham have also registered their interest, although the pull of Martinez should see the 24-year-old
follow his mentor to the North West.
With Latics desperately looking for striking reinfoircements – Hugo Rodallega is the only recognised frontman currently on the books – the name of Swansea's top scorer Jason Scotland has unsurprisingly also been mooted.
However, one man Latics will not be pursuing is Michael Owen, despite the former England star's availability on a free transfer following
Newcastle's relegation to the Championship.
"His wages would be too expensive," said Whelan. "And has he got the urge, the bottle and the drive to do what is needed in the Premier League? It's a big question.
"I hope he has, wherever he goes, because he has been a great player, although he is looking a little bit injury-prone. But that's only my opinion.
"I tried to sign him in 2005 when he was at Real Madrid, and I told his agent I would pay the 15m transfer fee to get him here and let him leave whenever he wanted.
"I wanted him to be available to play for England in the World Cup and I was trying to help England.
"I was thinking of Wigan to some degree, but I wanted England to benefit from having him.
"I don't want to criticise him because he has been a magnificent player and he could still do a hell of a job for somebody.
"But I think he would want to go to a much bigger club than Wigan.
"For us to pay somebody over 25,000 a week is a hell of a lot of money. But for other clubs it might be peanuts."
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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