Former Blackpool defender Will Aimson has signed for Wigan Athletic, joining the club on a two-year deal according to the club’s official website.
Aimson had most recently turned out for fellow League One side Exeter City, who he would captain for much of the last season. A fee has been paid for the defender given he was under contract with the Grecians, and it’s certainly a statement of intent on Wigan’s side.
The 30-year-old would make 36 League One appearances last term in what can be described as a topsy-turvy season for the club. Having at one point been on a 13-match winless run, Gary Caldwell’s side finished the season in flying form, losing just one of their last 10 matches. As a result, they’d finish the term 13th, with Aimson at the heart of the defence for their end-of-season resurgence.
A singular place above them in the league table would be Wigan, who would’ve been far higher up had it not been for a points deduction at the start of the season. Now on a level playing field with the rest of the league, Shaun Maloney will be hoping his side can progress next term.
The signing of Aimson certainly adds strength and experience to the Latics’ backline, and with over 225 appearances in the EFL, his signing certainly displays the club’s current direction.
During his career, the centre-back has played for the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Bolton Wanderers and Bury alongside his stint with Exeter, but he’s perhaps best known for his spell with another League One side, that being Blackpool.
With the Tangerines, the 30-year-old would win promotion via the play-offs from League Two back in the 2016/17 season. Starting all three of their post-season matches, it would in fact be Exeter who Blackpool would defeat in the play-off final and they are yet to drop back to the fourth tier since then.
Blackpool and Wigan are very much now considered direct rivals, with both trying to achieve promotion back to the Championship where there’s an argument that they both belong.
Despite having a bit of a record with injury, Aimson looks a strong addition for Wigan and he could help their ambitions come to fruition.
Writer’s View
There are some minor questions over this move, most notably his record with injury but Aimson arguably had one of his strongest seasons last year with Exeter. Keeping him fit won’t exactly be easy, but they’ll be getting a very good player if he can stay injury free.
It’s somewhat of a loss for Exeter but given that they’ve got a fee for the 30-year-old, some positives can be taken. With it looking like a stronger League One renewal, they must now reinvest those funds in order to remain competitive in a wide-open division.
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