Transfer kitty available - Wigan Athletic chief

That’s according to chief executive Mal Brannigan, who has pledged the budget for next season will be ‘competitive’ – with promotion a realistic goal.

Latics have already been linked with a £400,000 move for MK Dons forward Scott Fraser and, while not mentioning him by name, Brannigan says such a price wouldn’t be prohibitive.

“If the right player were to come along, within the parameters we’ve set for me to operate the organisation, we would look at anything and everything,” he told Wigan Today.

“There have been reports (of player interest), but we have to treat that at the moment as speculation.

"We must prefer to talk about deals we have done, rather than deals that might happen down the line.”

One player Brannigan was prepared to mention by name was Will Grigg, who many fans would love to see back at the DW – two-and-a-half years after leaving for Sunderland in a deal worth up to £4million.

“There will always be speculation about Will Grigg,” smiled Brannigan.

“And as long as he’s putting on his boots, he’ll always be associated with this football club – for what he did on and off the pitch.

“Again, though, the stories that are out there are speculative, and we must prefer to talk about deals we have already done.”

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