Wigan Athletic set to keep hold of Chris

And the ‘new-boy’ will need no introduction to Latics fans, with Christian Walton having already established himself at the DW during last season, which he spent on loan from Premier League Brighton.

Walton dropped several hints towards the end of last term that he’d be more than happy to extend his stay by another 12 months, if his parent club were in agreement.

And with the Seagulls on the verge of completing a deal for Sunderland stopper Jason Steele, who will provide competition for No.1 Mathew Ryan, it paves the way for Walton to pledge his future to Latics.

Walton, 22, won the League One ‘Golden Glove’ last term, despite missing three months of the campaign with a broken leg sustained in August.

He kept an impressive 21 clean sheets in 35 appearances in all competitions for Latics, including shut-outs against three top-flight opponents – Bournemouth, West Ham and Manchester City – in the FA Cup.

Walton also pulled off an incredible penalty save against Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final that Latics went on to lose 2-0.

Back-up Jamie Jones has already agreed a new 12-month deal, and keeping hold of England Under-21 international Walton would represent another shrewd piece of business for minimal outlay.

Latics – who return for pre-season training at the beginning of next week – are still waiting to hear back from Gary Roberts and Alex Bruce, who were offered new 12-months deals last month.