Transfer joy
Roberto Martinez welcomes Franco Di Santo to the DW Stadium
THERE was no shortage of excitement at the DW stadium yesterday afternoon as Latics boss Roberto Martinez bagged two crucial new signings on transfer deadline day.
After a frantic final day of negotiations, Martinez has secured the services of England Under-21 international midfielder Tom Cleverley on a season-long loan deal from Manchester United, and with minutes to spare before the 6pm deadline, giant Argentine striker Franco Di Santo put pen to paper on a three-year Latics deal.
The Cleverley deal was wrapped up first, and that capture will excite Latics fans as he is a real prospect who spent last season as a regular fixture in Watford’s first team, and the season before with Leicester City.
The Basingstoke-born schemer, now 21, who was raised in Bradford, is currently away with England Under-21s so will not join up with his new club-mates until later this week.
Martinez was clearly delighted to have snapped up Cleverley.
The Latics boss said: “Tom is a very exciting young player.
“He can play in a number of positions and will provide us some good new options.
“He will add great competition to the squad.
“He is young, hungry, and is desperate to play for the club in the Premier League and to grow with us.”
Perhaps even more of a coup for Latics was the signing – for an undisclosed fee - of Di Santo as he was snapped up from Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea with the clock inching agonisingly towards 6pm.
Di Santo is another Argentinian hit-man who will now hope to match up with country-man and fellow front-man Mauro Boselli – Latics big money summer capture.
Twenty-one-year-old Di Santo – an Argentine Under-20 international – underwent a medical before signing yesterday.
He spent last season on loan at Blackburn Rovers.
Again a thrilled Martinez expressed his delight at finally landing a long-time target of his.
The Latics manager said: “Franco has great Premier League experience having worked at a club with the calibre of players at Chelsea. He also spent a hugely beneficial year on loan at an established club like Blackburn.
“We all feel that Franco can fulfil his potential at our football club and he’ll bring a completely different dimension to our squad with his presence, technical ability, and hard work.
“We’ve been following Franco for a long time and from his point of view it’s clear that he’s desperate to play for Wigan Athletic.
“His desire and commitment is exactly the right attitude for our club.”
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: West
