If Celtic are open to allowing Lawal to go back out on loan to a Football League side, then Maloney should utilise his links with the club to sign him
Wigan Athletic, which started the 2023–24 League One season with an eight-point deduction and was subject to a transfer embargo, still had an overall successful campaign, finishing in the top half.
A young Latics team made up of club academy grads won 70 points but ended with 62 points. They will be hoping to fight for a play-off spot in 2024–25 if they have a good summer transfer window.
Latics fans should anticipate a summer full of wise additions as new owner Mike Danson has prioritised sustainability over the tumultuous periods seen by the previous two ownership groups.
These five players need to be at the top of the Latics’ transfer list for the next window.
Marc Leonard
Former Scotland youth international and Brighton midfielder Marc Leonard has been on loan at Northampton Town for the past two seasons, helping the Cobblers to automatic promotion at the end of the 2022–2023 campaign before finishing 14th in League One in 2023–2024.
Leonard has an amazing pass accuracy of 81.6%, according to FotMob, which would make him a perfect addition to Latics manager Shaun Maloney’s possession-based football style.
Leonard’s creative edge and 68 opportunities created for Cobblers teammates in the 2023–2024 League One season make him an ideal complement to Latics midfielder Matt Smith.
Since the 22-year-old’s Brighton contract expires in2025, Maloney may try to join his compatriot on a temporary or permanent basis.
During a 2023–2024 loan from Scottish Premiership powerhouse Celtic, Bosun Lawal made an impression in League One with now-relegated Fleetwood Town. The Daily Record reports that the 20-year-old has been informed that his future may not be at Celtic Park.
Bosun Lawal
Lawal is a versatile player who can play defensive midfield and centre back. The Scottish Sun has reported that Queens Park Rangers, Portsmouth, and Derby County—all of whom will be in the Championship next season—are interested in pursuing loan deals for the starlet. The Latics would have to make an aggressive move to try and sign him.
Maloney should use his connections to the team to sign Lawal, though, if Celtic are willing to let him return on loan to a Football League team.
Before taking over as the Glasgow team’s under-19 manager in 2017–2018, the Latics manager was a player for the team from 2000–2007 and 2008–2011.
Lawal might also be a great replacement for Latics star defender Charlie Hughes, who is rumoured to be leaving the DW Stadium due to transfer interest from Ipswich Town and West Ham.
Along with Hughes, Sam Tickle, an England under-21 international custodian, is another Latics starlet who appears certain to depart the team this summer. Tickle has been linked to a move to Everton.
Christy Pym
Maloney needs a new shot stopper because second choice Ben Amos’s contract is about to expire this summer, especially if Tickle decides to go.
The Latics may find it appealing to acquire Mansfield Town custodian Christy Pym, who was promoted from League Two to League One.
Pym began all 46 of the Stags’ fourth-tier games in 2023–2024, keeping 14 clean sheets in the process. He also had a pass accuracy of 65.9% this season, according to FotMob, thus he would be able to help Maloney with his play-out of the back philosophy.
Stephen Humphrys led the Latics in goals scored in the 2023–24 League One season with nine goals in 38 games and 24 starts.
The former Rochdale player’s contract at the DW Stadium expires this summer, so the Latics will need a goal scorer. However, there is question about his future.
Daniel Udoh
Humphrys may stay with the team, but the Greater Manchester team should still buy a forward this transfer window because Josh Magennis and Charlie Wyke have expiring contracts this summer, while Charlie Kelman is expected to return to Queens Park Rangers after a loan.
Forward Daniel Udoh of Shrewsbury Town may hold the key, having netted 10 goals in 40 League One outings and 38 starts for a struggling Salop team in 2023–2024.
Udoh has previously shown that he can score ten goals or more in the third division, but joining a team that might be vying for a play-off spot could allow the 27-year-old to reach his maximum potential.
Wideman Junior Quitirna showed great promise for the Lancashire team, even though he played for a relegated Fleetwood team. In just 11 starts and 24 outings, he scored four goals and provided two assists.
Junior Quitirna
Quitirna, who is only 24 years old, might be a perfect match for a young Latics team. He has proven his mettle against some of League One’s best teams, as evidenced by his braces against Barnsley in October and his assist against Bolton in August.
According to FotMob, the former Charlton player contributed to six goals in League One in just 1,033 minutes during 2023–24, demonstrating his danger in the closing third of the pitch.
