Wigan Athletic manager Shaun Maloney has said Charlie Hughes’ move to Championship outfit Hull City has gone “upstairs”.
Wigan now look set to look to lose 20-year-old centre-back Hughes to Hull, who were revealed to have tabled a £4.5 million offer for the youngster. City are in dire need of defensive recruitment after the departure of Jacob Greaves, who left the MKM Stadium to join recently promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town. New manager Tim Walter has been tasked with rebuilding the squad, with the likes of Jaden Philogene and Ozan Tufan also departing the club this summer.
Having brought in defenders Ryan Giles and Cody Drameh already, the Tigers have also seemingly targeted Latics defender Hughes, with the move now looking increasingly likely. A staple in Wigan’s back line last season, the England under-20 international made 51 appearances in all competitions, with him raking up over 70 first-team appearances in total.
Speaking to Wigan Today, Maloney said
“I think when it gets to this stage, it’s with the board…Ben, Mike Danson, Lucas Danson and Gregor will make those decisions. I’ll generally stay on the football side of it with Charlie, and our relationship can stay the way it is. All the rest will go to board level, which it should… they’ll ask my opinion, which of course I will give when asked.
“But the board has been really good, going back to last summer when they were incredibly good, and they’ve been excellent this year, and they’ll deal with it now.
“I have to prepare for both scenarios, so let’s wait and see which path it takes. What I will say is that Charlie has been brilliant, he’s continued to train, he played and was outstanding at Fylde. He’s one of our captains and he’s behaving every bit as well as you would expect.
“I think the interest in him is expected, but let’s see where it goes now.”
However, Hughes could be involved in the Latics pre-season game against Blackburn Rovers, with the 41-year-old manager claiming:
“Absolutely, he will be ready to play if required.”
Writer’s View
It is no surprise that Wigan-born Hughes is the subject of attention from the Championship, with the 20-year-old having an outstanding 2023/24 season in blue and white last season. Even Maloney isn’t surprised by the interest. This move is no less than what’s deserved, with a move for all parties involved looking to benefit in some way shape or form.
It is fair to say Hull now have cash to splash with the departures of key players. It’s no secret that Turkish owner Acun Ilicali has aspirations of returning to the Premier League with the Tigers and signing one of the best young players in the EFL certainly backs his claim. City need a rebuild after the disappointment of missing out on the play-offs last season, and with previously mentioned departures, Hughes feels like a step in the right direction.
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