Wigan Athletic target Chelsea and Manchester United players
Wigan Athletic are reportedly looking to tie up deals for players from English Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United before the transfer window closes.
The duo in question are United’s Tom Cleverley and Chelsea’s France Di Santo, with the former looking to be closest to joining Roberto Martinez’ squad.
Cleverley set for loan switch
According to Sky Sports, midfielder Cleverley is on the verge of signing a season-long loan deal with the club, who picked up their first points of the season after winning 1-0 against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
The versatile 21-year-old was linked with a move to Newcastle United on a temporary basis earlier this summer, but his strong pre-season performances led Sir Alex Ferguson to state that Cleverley would not be leaving on loan this summer. However, the Red Devils manager appears to have relented and looks set to allow the England Under-21 player to move to the DW Stadium on loan.
Cleverley was farmed out on loan to Football League Championship side Watford last season, where his strong form earned him the club’s Player of the Season award after netting 11 times from 33 appearances across all competitions.
Offer for Di Santo
Meanwhile, Wigan are said to be nearing the signing of Di Santo on a permanent basis for a fee of around £2m. The 21-year-old has struggled to make an impression on the first team at Chelsea and has Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Daniel Sturridge ahead of him in the pecking order. The Argentina Under-20 player spent last season on loan with Blackburn Rovers, where he initially performed well but struggled to maintain his good form.
Di Santo was latterly used more of an impact substitute and was not named among the 18-man squad for Blackburn’s final match of the season. At Chelsea, he has made just 16 first-team appearances —all in the 2008-09 season — and has failed to score for the reigning EPL champions.
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