Newly relegated Wigan could be set to lose manager Shaun Maloney, with Championship sides Huddersfield Town and Swansea City interested in appointing him according to Football Insider’s Pete O’ Rourke.
The Swans are looking for a replacement for Southampton-bound Russell Martin and could make a move for Maloney who joined Wigan in January.
Huddersfield, who avoided following Wigan into League One, are also reportedly interested in the ex-Hibs boss should they be unable to convince Neil Warnock to stay on.
Maloney 40, was unable to save Wigan from the drop, but is said to have impressed the Swansea hierarchy with his efforts in difficult circumstances at the DW Stadium.
The stricken Latics face a tough start to life in League One, with an eight-point penalty over continued, unpaid wages and Maloney may well see the possibility of a new start in either South Wales or West Yorkshire, as a much more enticing proposition. The Scot took charge of Wigan after the sacking of Kolo Toure and he guided them to four wins and eight draws in his 17 games in charge last season.
He also had to contend with a three-point deduction in March, after player wages went unpaid and continued uncertainty over the club’s ownership.
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Maloney started his coaching career at his former club Celtic, before working under Roberto Martinez with the Belgium national team. He then had a short, unsuccessful spell at Hibernian. Swansea are still waiting to finalise the terms of Martin’s departure to the Saints, with the two clubs disagreeing over the level of compensation for him.
Huddersfield are still hoping to agree on a new one-year deal with veteran boss Warnock according to reports but may approach Wigan for Maloney if that move doesn’t materialise.
If Maloney stays at Wigan, he looks set to have new bosses as a deal to sell the club is seemingly imminent.
A statement on the club’s official website said on Monday; “A deal has been agreed in principle for the sale of Wigan Athletic Football Club to a prospective new buyer – subject to EFL approval. The prospective new owners have committed to resolving all outstanding liabilities at the earliest opportunity. ‘
Writer’s View
The speculation over Maloney’s future will be another unwelcome chapter in what is rapidly becoming a traumatic saga for Latics fans.
Relegation from the Championship, an eight-point deduction for the new season and huge uncertainty over the club’s ownership means it’s already been a long close season for the club. Maloney endeared himself to the fan base by getting on with his job in a dignified and professional way in incredibly tough circumstances.
A prospective move to Swansea or Huddersfield would clearly be attractive, but Maloney may well wait to see if there’s a change of ownership in the coming days before deciding on his future.
