Why Wigan Athletic have new Ollie Cooper hope after Swansea City transfers | OneFootball

Wigan Athletic should look to reignite their interest in Oli Cooper following Swansea City's summer business

Swansea City have had a busy summer transfer window so far, and it looks like they won't be slowing down anytime soon.

Alan Sheehan's side have made eight first-team signings to date, with that number set to increase in the very near future, with Nottingham Forest midfielder Marko Stamenic joining, and the Swans boss also made reference to a striker linking up with his side after the win against Sheffield United on Saturday.

One area where Swansea have really looked to strengthen in recent months is midfield, and Stamenic is set to be the club's fourth midfield signing of the summer, following the additions of Melker Widell, Ethan Galbraith and Malick Yalcouye.

The Swans have lost Joe Allen, who retired at the end of last season, and Lewis O'Brien, who joined Wrexham after his loan spell in SA1, but it's clear that Sheehan feels Swansea's midfield needed strengthening, and they arguably now possess one of the strongest midfield units in the division.

However, that means midfielders already at the club could have an uncertain future, and Wigan Athletic might just be watching on with interest following Swansea's recent transfer business.

Wigan Athletic should swoop for Ollie Cooper after Swansea City business

One player who may find himself down the pecking order at the Swansea.com Stadium following the Swans' recent transfer business is Ollie Cooper, and the Latics may well be tempted to revisit a deal for the Welshman.

It was reported earlier this summer by Alan Nixon that Wigan were keen on striking a deal to sign Cooper, and while that felt quite unlikely at the time, given Swansea's lack of depth, it may be a different story now.

Cooper has been a bit-part player since Sheehan took over in March, and he's been an unused substitute in both of Swansea's Championship fixtures this season, suggesting he will struggle for minutes this season.

Wigan have brought in two central midfielders this summer, signing Callum Wright and Ryan Trevitt on loan from Plymouth Argyle and Brentford respectively, but signing a player of Cooper's quality could be a real statement of intent by Ryan Lowe's side.

25-year-old Cooper is at the stage of his career where he needs to play regularly, and while he burst onto the scene for Swansea during the opening months of the 2022/23 campaign, it's not unfair to say he hasn't quite kicked on as expected for various reasons.

Swansea have been through various managers since then, all of which have had different styles of play, and Cooper hasn't been able to string a run of games together like he did in late 2022, which earned him a call-up to the Wales squad for the 2022 World Cup as a travelling reserve.

Cooper is currently contracted to Swansea until the summer of 2027, which could be a sticking point for Wigan or any other interested club, but with the likes of Goncalo Franco, Jay Fulton, Cameron Congreve, Widell, Galbraith and Yalcouye at the club, and Stamenic joining, the 25-year-old's future in SA1 is far from certain.

Ollie Cooper could thrive in League One with regular football

A change of scenery and regular football in a lower division could be exactly what Cooper needs after a frustrating couple of seasons, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he was the subject of interest from clubs in League One in the coming weeks.

The Welsh international showed when he first broke onto the scene with Swansea that he could be a real creative spark with an eye for a goal, and he looked set for a big future in the game not too long ago.

With Wales hoping to qualify for the World Cup in less than 12 months' time, Cooper will certainly want to be part of Craig Bellamy's squad that travels to the USA, and playing regular football will give him the best chance of doing so.

The 25-year-old had an impressive 2021/22 season on loan in League Two with Newport County where he registered 10 assists in 35 appearances, and a similar 2025/26 season is exactly what he needs to get his form back.

After just 22 league starts in the last two seasons, a move to League One could do Cooper a world of good and allow him to play regular football, something which looks unlikely at Swansea this season.