Wigan Athletic chief responds to transfer talk regarding Stoke City striker shining at Blackpool who he worked with at Plymouth Argyle

The Latics chief is expected to be a busy man in the market as he reshapes the squad he inherited from Shaun Maloney into his mould.

While the most pressing priority at the moment is securing the points necessary to secure League One safety, Lowe has revealed things have begun to move on the transfer front.

"The phone's started ringing already in that regard," he said. "We had a meeting yesterday on recruitment, only a small recruitment meeting.

"And I've asked can that just be delayed until after the Easter weekend, because all I'm thinking about at the moment is Shrewsbury Town and then Rotherham United on Monday.

"That's all that matters for now, but obviously there's short-term, mid-term and long-term plans to make us better."

Stoke City striker Niall Ennis - currently shining on loan at Blackpool - is one of the first names to be linked with Latics.

And he is well known to Lowe, with the pair winning promotion together from League Two during their days at Plymouth Argyle.

"He would be well known to me...because I revitalised his career!" laughed Lowe. "I signed him from Wolves for Plymouth Argyle, and he did fantastic for me and fantastic for them after I left.

"Look, I know Niall very well, he's a fantastic lad and he's a goalscorer at this level, definitely. He's been up and down the Championship, he's had some opportunities.

"But I think he's probably one of many who will be linked, given we obviously have a friendship. He's contracted to Stoke City for another 12 months I think, but we're always in the market for good players - and Niall is certainly one of them."

Wolverhampton-born Ennis came through the ranks at his hometown club, and was sent out on loan to Shrewsbury Town, Doncaster Rovers and Burton Albion before joining Plymouth in January 2021.

After scoring 24 times in 97 appearances in two-and-a-half years with Argyle, he joined Blackburn in the summer of 2023, before moving on to Stoke in February 2024.

He scored two goals in 26 appearances for the Potters, but an impressive six in 13 for Blackpool after joining on loan midway through this season.

Lowe did confirm improving the forward line - and goalscoring output - will be his overwhelming priority this summer.

"100 per cent, the focus is going to be getting bodies through the door who can score us goals," he added. "Dale (Taylor) has done a fantastic job up front on his own for most of the season, and there's still an onus on him to get us a few more goals in the next five games.

"I think Maleace (Asamoah Jnr) has a very bright future here definitely, sometimes as a striker it just takes a change of manager to make something click. So we'll continue to work with him, but we need players who have been there, seen it and done it to come in and get us some goals."