Wigan Athletic break silence on takeover talk | OneFootball

Wigan Athletic owner Talal Al Hammad has confirmed that he has agreed a deal to sell the club, with the EFL now needing to sign off on it.

Who is buying Wigan?

The Latics supporters have been desperate for a change in ownership after the financial issues, notably paying the player late, has had a huge negative impact on the club. The side were deducted points this season, which contributed to their relegation, and they are going to begin life back in League One on minus eight points.

With another late payment for the May wages on Friday, there were fresh calls for the owner to depart, and it appears the fans have got their wish.

That’s after the club shared a statement on their official website on Sunday night, where they revealed a sale has been agreed in principle.

“A deal has been agreed in principle for the sale of Wigan Athletic Football Club to a prospective new buyer - subject to EFL approval.

“The prospective new owners have committed to resolving all outstanding liabilities at the earliest opportunity. Further updates on this process will follow in due course.”

Whilst it’s unclear who is actually behind the purchase, journalist Paul Kendrick has revealed that it’s going to be a ‘new venture, new board members, new ideas’.

Of course, the change in ownership won’t alter the punishments that the club has already received going into next season, so Shaun Maloney and the team will still be playing catch-up due to the deduction when the campaign starts in August.

Wigan will be desperate for this to go through

There has to be a degree of nervousness about this because we obviously don’t have the details on who will be taking over at Wigan, and they know only too well that a new owner doesn’t guarantee a brighter future. However, it’s hard not to be pleased for the Wigan fans, because this is the news they all wanted.

We know the mistakes that have been made at the club over the past 18 months or so particularly, and it’s a big reason why the club will be back in League One and starting with a deficit. Despite reassurances, the same issues have cropped up and it’s not acceptable.

Now, hopefully the EFL are conducting thorough checks to ensure the next owner will be more reliable, and then, Wigan will be desperate for an announcement, so they can look ahead with optimism rather than dread.