Opinion: Wigan Athletic should rival Huddersfield Town for League One attacker | OneFootball

Wigan Athletic have had a surprisingly quiet transfer window so far, as the Latics sit at the bottom of the Championship table.

The Latics announced last night the surprise sacking of manager Kolo Toure, after less than two months in charge at the DW Stadium.

Toure oversaw nine games in charge of Wigan and failed to win of them, with them sat rooted to the Championship table and being knocked out of the FA Cup a few weeks back.

Now, according to Alan Nixon, Wigan are looking to appoint former midfielder Shaun Maloney as Toure’s replacement. If Maloney does get the job and is announced fairly soon, he will only have a couple of days to get any new signings through the door.

The Latics have only managed to bring in central defender Steven Caulker on a free transfer so far this month, and in the process, they have lost loanee Nathan Broadhead, who joined Ipswich Town on a permanent deal, and midfielder Graeme Shinnie, who has joined Aberdeen on loan.

Since being named Wigan manager, Toure has really struggled in his first managerial role in football, and with the 11 p.m. deadline on Tuesday getting ever closer, the Latics should be looking to improve their attack for the rest of the season.

One player they have been heavily linked with and last week were reported to be close to signing is Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt. However, that looks unlikely now, as Sunderland seem to have won the race for the striker as Sky Sports’ Keith Downie is reporting the player is set to undergo a medical on Wearside.

However, despite Gelhardt’s possible arrival at the club, Wigan should still be looking to bring in another attacking option to the club this month.

Cambridge United attacker Harvey Knibbs is a player that has attracted the interest of fellow Championship side Huddersfield Town and he is a player that Wigan should definitely be looking to sign this month.

The 23-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season, and this transfer window is realistically the last chance Cambridge will have to cash in on the winger.

Knibbs has made himself into an important member of the Cambridge side, having been at the club since 2019. The attacker played an important role in Mark Bonner’s team, which earned promotion to League One in the 2020/21 season.

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The attacker has made 26 appearances in the league this season, scoring four goals and providing three assists. During his time in League One, he has continued to impress at Cambridge, and with his contract situation being what it is, this might be the ideal time for him to depart Cambridge and move higher up the Football League pyramid.

Of course, Huddersfield have an interest in the 23-year-old and even tried to sign him back in the summer, but if Wigan are serious about staying in the Championship this season, then they need to do all they can to beat the Terriers to Knibbs’ signature.

Knibbs would bring pace, directness, and the ability to beat players one-on-one, and with him being able to play anywhere across the front three, he could be a real asset to a side like Wigan, fighting near the foot of the table.