Wigan Athletic join Portsmouth, Ipswich and Peterborugh transfer race | OneFootball

Wigan Athletic have joined Peterborough, Ipswich Town and Portsmouth in the transfer race for non-league sensation Chris Conn-Clarke in a deal believed to be worth £250k, according to Alan Nixon.

The Altrincham striker scored at an impressive rate throughout the 2023/24 National League season, bagging 23 goals in 46 appearances, helping his side land a play-off spot.

Conn-Clarke is a Northern Ireland under-21 international, who signed for Burnley from Glentoran in 2020 but never represented the Clarets at senior level, instead joining National League North side Chorley on loan.

The 22-year-old then joined Fleetwood Town as a free agent in 2021, before enduring loan spells at both Altrincham and Waterford, but was not able to secure regular first team football with Town.

He signed for Alty permanently last summer, and has not looked back since, becoming a prolific goalscorer at National League level, and he has now attracted interest from Football League outfits as well as the Premier League-bound Tractor Boys.

There is a four-way transfer battle for Conn-Clarke

Nixon's Patreon post on Sunday morning revealed that League One duo Peterborough and Wigan are the latest sides to lock horns in the race to sign Conn-Clarke this summer.

Meanwhile, the Portsmouth News reported that Pompey had a bid rejected for Conn-Clarke on Thursday, as John Mousinho looks to bolster his squad ahead of the 2024/25 Championship campaign after lifting the 2023/24 League One title.

Earlier this month, Football Transfers revealed that Ipswich were also keen on the 22-year-old, as Kieran McKenna is aiming to add to his already talented crop of players in an effort to ready his side for the Premier League.

League One could be a more ideal destination for Conn-Clarke

As a non-league player, the Northern Ireland under-21 international will no doubt be buoyed by the fact that the Tractor Boys and Pompey, who will be plying their trade in the Premier League and Championship respectively next season, are interested in securing his services.

But with the realistic possibility of first-team football in mind, perhaps Conn-Clarke should set his sights on the transfer interest in him from Peterborough and Wigan.

Both the Posh and Latics are League One sides, and although there is still a sizeable gulf in class between the third-tier and the National League, it is significantly less than that of the gap between the fifth tier and the Premier League or Championship.

Posh have a solid record when it comes to turning non-league players into third-tier class players, as demonstrated by the exploits of Ephron Mason-Clark, who Darren Ferguson's men signed from Barnet in the summer of 2022.

Mason-Clark scored nine goals and produced seven assists during his first season in League One, and continued his upward trajectory to the extent that Championship outfit Coventry City signed him on 1st February this year, who loaned him back out to Posh for the remainder of the campaign.

The 24-year-old scored 14 goals and created seven assists in the 2023/24 third-tier season, and has shown that the gap between the National League and League One can be bridged by a talented player, something which Conn-Clarke may have the opportunity to do.

The Latics could also be a suitable destination for Conn-Clarke, as manager Shaun Maloney is very capable of handing first-team minutes to up-and-coming talent, as demonstrated by the performances of England youth internationals Charlie Hughes and Sam Tickle for his side as well as other youth academy graduates.

However, if the Tractor Boys or Pompey do have a bid accepted by Alty for the 22-year-old, then he may wish to pursue the possibility of either Premier League or Championship football.