"Incredible" Wigan Athletic star tipped for transfer interest | OneFootball

FLW's Wigan Athletic fan pundit cannot see Sam Tickle staying at the club beyond this season.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Wigan Athletic have sold a few players for significant transfer fees this season, and they may struggle to keep another one of their key men in the summer.

The Latics do not have all that much to play for during the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign following their FA Cup Fourth Round defeat against Fulham at the weekend, with Shaun Maloney's side having already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup and the Vertu Trophy, while they should have more than enough quality to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.

Therefore, Wigan supporters will just hope their team can gather some momentum to take into the 2025/26 campaign during the final few months of the season, with a top-half finish well within their reach.

The next few months may also provide the final opportunities for Wigan fans to enjoy the performances of goalkeeper Sam Tickle, as he has attracted interest from clubs in higher divisions during both of the last two transfer windows, so it would be no surprise if he moved on at the end of the season.

Tickle may move on in the summer

We asked our Wigan fan pundit, Corey Bissle, which player he expects to attract the most transfer interest in the summer.

"In terms of who I expect to attract the most transfer interest in the summer, it's probably got to be Sam Tickle," said Corey.

"He is an incredible goalkeeper, and he is way above this league.

"I expect him to have significant interest from at least mid-table Championship teams, and potentially even higher.

"I think he will leave. It is pretty much inevitable. Our fans have sort of accepted it.

"He will be a really difficult one to keep hold of, to be honest. I am surprised we have kept hold of him for this long as it is.

"He had interest last summer, he had interest in the January transfer window, so I do feel that he will go in the summer.

"He will probably bring in a good fee, but I can't see him being here for too much longer beyond this season."

Tickle has attracted transfer interest this season

Tickle has attracted plenty of interest over the course of the current season, with some of the biggest clubs in the country said to have been keen on a move for the 22-year-old.

Arsenal and Manchester United were linked with the goalkeeper during the first-half of the season, and it was even reported that he turned down the Gunners in favour of remaining first-choice at Wigan.

In January, he was said to be at the top of the wanted list at Preston North End if Freddie Woodman left Deepdale, so it is clear that he is on the radar of clubs in divisions above.

It should come as no surprise that Tickle is attracting interest, as his record in League One speaks for itself. This season, he has kept 11 clean sheets in 28 appearances in the third tier.

It remains to be seen whether Wigan sell Tickle in the summer, but they should be able to command a significant fee if they do, which would further add to the money they have already received from their recent sales of Charlie Hughes, Josh Stones, and Thelo Aasgaard.