Liverpool agreement is huge vote of confidence in Wigan Athletic & Shaun Maloney: View | OneFootball

The re-signing of Luke Chambers from Liverpool is a huge vote of confidence in Wigan and Shaun Maloney.

Wigan Athletic have been busy in the transfer window so far with numerous new additions, most notably the likes of Toby Sibbick and Calvin Ramsay to bolster their defensive unit.

These additions have excited Latics fans, and it appears their enthusiasm will continue with Luke Chambers - Ramsay's Liverpool teammate - set to rejoin Shaun Maloney's side.

The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at the club, and according to journalist Alan Nixon, he is set for a return following Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States.

For Wigan fans, this is fantastic news and a significant vote of confidence in Maloney, who will be hoping that the youngster can play a pivotal role in the team's push for League One play-off football this season

Luke Chambers is a huge coup for Wigan Athletic and Shaun Maloney

Even the most optimistic Wigan fan likely wouldn't have anticipated a summer attempt to sign Chambers after his impressive stint on loan last season.

During that period, the youngster played at both left-back and centre-back as he displayed maturity which is rare for a player of his age.

Four goal contributions is only half the story of what was a stellar 18 games, with his underlying statistics placing him among some of the best defenders in the division.

All this would have made most people expect a jump up to the Championship for Chambers, and according to Lewis Steele of the Daily Mail, multiple second tier clubs did make advances for the Preston-born defender, but it is the League One Latics who are now in pole position.

This news is a testament to Maloney, who has shown great trust in his young squad, especially Chambers. This support resulted in a solid points total last year, with the Liverpool player picking up 30 points from the 18 games he featured in.

Undoubtedly, this faith has played a part in the potential of a return, and another year with Wigan could see the dynamic defender return to Anfield with a chance at a first-team spot if he develops enough.

It's not just the imminent Chambers arrival that shows that Maloney is highly thought of by not just Liverpool, but other Premier League clubs, with Man United, Leicester City and Brentford all sending youngsters in the form of Joe Hugill, Silko Thomas and Michael Olakigbe respectively to the Greater Manchester side, so there's clearly a trust in the former playmaker to make them better players.

Luke Chambers could be pivotal for Wigan Athletic in League One promotion hunt

Albeit his performances last year were in the third tier, it feels like Chambers could have made the step up to play Championship football at will.

For Wigan, though, they will be delighted to retain Chambers, and if he can repeat his performances, then they will be well set in defence for the upcoming campaign.

Maloney will only know all too well that the level of League One will be a real step-up this season, with the likes of Birmingham and Rotherham United dropping, as well as Stockport County and Wrexham coming up from League Two, and securing top-level players is crucial.

Chambers is exactly that, and with the head coach's reliance on youth, which is mainly down to budgetary constraints and trusting in a talented academy, having a player that you can trust in multiple positions is vital.

Whether he features at left-back, left wing-back or the heart of defence, you know he provides a consistent seven out of 10 performance most weeks.

Additionally, his competence on the ball is a rare asset at the League One level, making him invaluable in Maloney's modern system of playing out from the back.

With the deal seemingly on the verge of completion, we could be looking back on this next year as one of the signings of the summer in League One despite some of the transfer fees being thrown about.