Wigan Athletic set sights on League Two defender to bolster backline
Wigan Athletic are hoping to tie up the signing of Walsall defender Connor Barrett in the coming days.
Boss Gary Caldwell has earmarked the 24-year-old right-back as an early acquisition as he undertakes a huge overhaul of the playing squad.
Some 14 senior players left the club at the end of last season, with a further nine out of contract and assessing their options.
That means Caldwell has little time to waste in terms of bring in bodies, and he is hopeful of completing a deal for Barrett to bolster his backline.
Leicester-born Barrett came through the ranks at his hometown club before joining the Burnley academy, but he had to drop down to Kettering Town and then AFC Fylde to get his career going.
After a year at Kettering and two at Fylde, with whom he won promotion to the National League in 2024, Barrett joined Walsall.
He was named in the League Two team of the season in 2024/25, and has made 88 appearances during his two years with the Saddlers.
Latics are also hoping to complete a deal to bring midfielder Max Power to Wigan for a third spell.
The 32-year-old helped Latics to win the League One title on two occasions – under Caldwell in 2015/16 and Paul Cook in 2017/18.
He left for Sunderland in the summer of 2018, but was brought back to Wigan by Leam Richardson three years later.
Power won his third League One title with Latics in his first season, but left in the summer of 2023 following well-documented financial issues under then-owners Phoenix 2021 Ltd which saw the players being repeatedly paid late.
After spells in Saudi Arabia and Denmark, Power joined Bradford City last summer, whom he captained to the play-offs this season.
He has been earmarked as the ideal man to lead the rebuild under Caldwell and David Perkins, his former partner in crime in the centre of the Latics midfield.
Latics will again be one of the busiest clubs in the transfer market this summer.
Jason Kerr, Will Aimson, Steven Sessegnon, Tyrese Francois, Luke Robinson and Jack Hunt will need replacing, along with back-up goalkeepers Toby Savin and Matty Corran.
Loan contingent Owen Moxon (Stockport County), Ryan Trevitt (Brentford), Caylan Vickers (Brighton & Hove Albion), Raphael Borges Rodrigues (Coventry City), Callum Wright (Plymouth Argyle) and Joe Taylor (Huddersfield Town) have also cleared out their lockers.
Nine players - Matt Smith, Jensen Weir, Callum McManaman, Harrison Bettoni, Llyton Chapman, Leo Graham, Chris Sze, Adam Moseley and Joe Adams - are out of contract and are mulling over new deals.
Contracted quintet Joseph Hungbo, Baba Adeeko, Jonny Smith, Ronan Darcy, Maleace Asamoah Jnr have also been made available for transfer.