Paul Mullin may already have Wigan Athletic problem after Wrexham loan move | OneFootball

The striker’s move to Wigan Athletic for more minutes could backfire

Paul Mullin’s position at Wigan Athletic could be under threat before a ball has even been kicked in the new campaign.

He fell out of favour at Wrexham last term, dropping out of the matchday squad for the majority of the second half of the League One season.

The Red Dragons’ promotion to the Championship did not do his playing prospects any favours, so a loan to the Latics in the third tier was sorted for the 2025/26 campaign.

However, on account of Wigan’s transfer business this summer, Mullin may find similar struggles at his new club.

Wigan transfers may block Mullin’s path

Mullin is not the only bit of business Wigan have done this season, having also done deals to bring young forwards Dara Costelloe and Christian Saydee to the club.

The club clearly rate both men highly, as the pair were handed three-year contracts on arrival.

Saydee made 29 appearances in the Championship for Portsmouth last season, scoring three goals, and netted seven in the third tier for Shrewsbury Town a couple of years ago, so lands at The Brick Community Stadium with strong pedigree.

Costelloe is not quite as experienced, but did make 15 appearances for Northampton Town in League One last season, notching six goals on his short-term secondment.

Mullin unlikely to be the focus for Wigan

Given Mullin only managed three goals in 26 appearances for Wrexham in the third tier last season, both Costelloe and Saydee arrive with an arguably better recent record.

Plus, both the new permanent recruits are young and have multi-year deals at the club, so the Latics are understandably going to be more invested in the progression of that pair than they are loanee Mullin, who has likely already reached his full potential and is not the club’s own player.

That’s before mentioning the likes of young forward Maleace Asamoah, who’s unlikely to be a regular starter for the Latics at the beginning of the new season but is breaking through, having made 16 League One appearances last season, so the club will have a keen eye on his development.

The fact Ryan Lowe favours a two-striker system plays in Mullin’s favour with regards to getting minutes, but there’s an argument to say Costelloe and Saydee are Wigan’s strongest front two, so there are no guarantees for the 30-year-old Wrexham man.

Mullin is still relatively unproven in League One

There is no doubt that Mullin is a talented player who knows where the net is, and he’s seen his profile skyrocket thanks to being the main man at the Racecourse while the world’s eyes are on the club through Disney+ documentary Welcome to Wrexham.

The Liverpool-born striker has 93 goals in 274 League Two appearances and 64 goals in 84 National League outings, but only has six League One strikes to his name in 46 games.

He has some incredible seasons on his CV, but his record suggests that League Two may well be his level, despite his elevated profile; there is nothing to suggest he definitely goes in at Wigan and hits the ground running.