Wigan Athletic keen on summer move for Portsmouth title-winner | OneFootball

Alan Nixon has reported via his Patreon that the 30-year-old ex-Liverpool defender is keen on a return to the North West, and that the Latics could agree terms to bring him to the club this summer.

Rafferty came through the ranks at Liverpool, before making his first-team bow with Rochdale, where he spent seven seasons before joining Preston North End in 2019.

The defender spent three years at Deepdale before being released in the summer of 2022, and he joined Portsmouth in League One, helping them win promotion to the Championship, but he has not been offered a new deal at Fratton Park this summer.

Joe Rafferty impressed for Portsmouth during the 2023/24 season

The right-back was a regular starter in John Mousinho's side as Pompey won the league, so it's something of a shock that he has been released, especially as Rafferty has plenty of experience at Championship level thanks to his three years at Preston.

At 30, he's not particularly old either, so it does seem like a strange move by Portsmouth, but perhaps Mousinho wants to use this summer as a chance to overhaul his squad ahead of their second tier return.

In total, Rafferty made 68 appearances for Pompey, including 39 league games this season, 36 of them being starts.

With that in mind, it's understandable why the defender may feel hard done by after being released, and in a recent interview with The News, it's clear that he was shocked by Pompey's decision to let him leave.

He said, via The News: "It took me by surprise to be honest. Considering how well the season’s gone, I thought I‘d be staying or at least having the option to stay.

"I kind of feel a bit hard done to, I feel I deserve to be there next season and in the Championship, but that’s life sometimes.

"I think I’ve performed really well all season, it has been one of my better years. I started off the season getting forward quite a lot and got a few assists and then, as the campaign progressed, we had to switch it up a little, and I was probably a bit more defensive towards the back end."

This means that wherever the 30-year-old ends up this summer, he'll have a point to prove, and Portsmouth's loss could be Wigan's gain.

Joe Rafferty would be a great signing for Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic finished 12th in their first season back in League One after relegation from the Championship in 2022/23, and they'll be looking to improve and move up the table this season.

A signing like Joe Rafferty on a free would be a very shrewd one, with the player having vast experience at both Championship and League One level, and he's clearly hungry to prove a point after leaving Portsmouth.

It makes sense to the player too, as he'll be moving closer to home, and if Wigan can agree terms with him, it seems the perfect move for everybody involved.

Rafferty would offer leadership, as well as experience, and if the Latics could make more signings of this calibre, they'll fancy themselves to have a strong season in League One.

It remains to be seen whether they'll get the signing over the line, but it's a good statement of intent, and it would be a great move if they were able to secure Rafferty's signature.