Update shared as Everton battle Premier League rivals for Wigan Athletic player | OneFootball

Highlights

Everton do have an interest in Wigan Athletic’s Sam Tickle, but other Premier League clubs could move ahead of them to seal a move for the keeper this month.

Sam Tickle attracts Premier League transfer interest

The 21-year-old has established himself as the Latics’ number one this season under Shaun Maloney, and his performances have attracted attention from clubs in higher leagues.

Tickle’s reputation will also have been enhanced by his outstanding display against Man United on Monday night, where he excelled despite Wigan’s 2-0 defeat.

It was revealed in November that Everton had an interest in Tickle, but it appears the Toffees won’t have a clear run at the player.

That’s after The Athletic journalist Patrick Boyland confirmed that whilst the Merseyside outfit are admirers of the stopper, they aren’t the only club interested, and there could be movement involving Tickle before the deadline later this month, even if he’s likely to finish the campaign with Wigan.

“The goalkeeper is a player Everton have watched. But I don’t think it’s gone further than that at this stage, with other Premier League sides showing more concrete interest. I wouldn’t rule out someone buying him and loaning him back to Wigan for the remainder of the season.”

Sam Tickle has a big decision to make

Obviously, Wigan won’t want to lose the player, and the fact he has a contract until 2026 means they aren’t in a position where they have to cash in this month.

But, the reality is that any League One side is going to struggle to keep hold of a player if Premier League clubs show a real interest, so it’s going to be about getting the best possible fee for Wigan.

As well as that, with the Latics only four points above the relegation zone at the moment, Maloney won’t want to lose his number one at a critical part of the season. So, it would make sense if any deal saw him loaned back to the club for the next few months.

For Tickle, the prospect of moving to a top-flight side is going to appeal, but he is at a key point in his career, so he needs to decide his next step very carefully.

The fact the academy graduate is on the radar of Premier League clubs is proof that the club are doing a lot right when it comes to developing talent, so they deserve huge credit for that.

Nevertheless, Tickle still has a lot of work to do to fulfil his potential, and he will be aware of the need to play on a regular basis if he is going to do just that. In that sense, staying at Wigan could be an option, as they have given him the platform to perform and show what he can do.

So, it could be an interesting few weeks ahead, and it will be intriguing to see what happens with Tickle.