Wigan Athletic boss Shaun Maloney has insisted there’s ‘no change’ in their pursuit of striker Kyle Joseph, despite Neil Critchley’s sacking at Bloomfield Road.
Critchley became the first League One boss to lose his job this week, and the second in as many weeks across the EFL. Blackpool pulled the trigger after a humiliating 3-0 home defeat against Stockport County, meaning a manager hunt with just a few days left of the transfer window.
That could potentially open the door for Wigan to resume their hunt for striker Kyle Joseph. Maloney enquired after the 22-year-old earlier in the summer, hoping to bring him back to the club he served his apprenticeship with. He was rebuffed, and when quizzed yesterday on whether that situation had changed given Critchley’s sacking, he had this to say.
“It’s impossible to say really, it’s all dependent on the individual club,” he told Wigan Today. “It depends what the plans are, whether it’s the sporting director, the owner, or whatever.
“But in terms of that (Kyle Joseph), there’s been no change whatsoever, and we respect Blackpool’s position. We obviously made offers early, they were absolutely adamant they wanted to keep Kyle, we respect that, and there’s been no change.”
Wigan have had a tough start to their League One campaign, losing 1-0 against Charlton on the opening day and 2-0 against Reading this weekend. They were also eliminated from the League Cup by Barnsley, and there’s a feeling they need to add depth before the transfer window shuts.
Joseph would be the perfect candidate. He began his career with the Latics, progressing through their youth ranks before Swansea paid around £500,000 for his services. His time at Swansea was mixed – he failed to score in ten outings but had loan spells with Cheltenham and Oxford. While at the Us he impressed, scoring 10 goals in 41 outings, before joining Blackpool permanently in 2023.
Writer’s View
There’s such uncertainty at Blackpool that this question did need asking, but it would be beyond a shock if he actually left as a result of Critchley going. He’s been involved in their opening fixtures, and Kylian Kouassi is being heavily linked with a move to Motherwell. That doesn’t point to another striker leaving.
It’s likely any new manager will have to work with the current squad, so to have that as deep as possible is the only sensible approach. Joseph is a striker, but he can operate on either flank, or behind the front two. That makes him an attractive prospect for whoever comes in, especially if they wish to change Critchley’s 3-5-2 formation to something a little more traditional.
While Wigan harbours desire to take their former protege back, there seems little chance in the current window. Maloney might bide his time – if a new manager doesn’t fancy Joseph, there might be a deal to be had in January – if Maloney makes it that far, given their poor start to the season.
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