Wigan Athletic launch transfer bid for Fleetwood Town star | OneFootball

Brendan Wiredu is wanted by the Latics

Wigan Athletic have launched a bid to sign Fleetwood Town defender and club captain Brendan Wiredu, according to new reports.

Wiredu has been with the Cod Army since he signed from Colchester United in 2022, and has established himself as one of the club's key players in recent years.

Thge 25-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Fylde coast on numerous occasions in recent transfer windows, due to his standout performances in League One and Two, and was named Fleetwood captain this time last year, after he had signed a new two-and-a-half year contract to keep him tied down at the club until 2026.

Wigan Athletic make Brendan Wiredu transfer approach

According to Football Insider's transfer correspondent Pete O'Rourke, via X, Wigan have submitted a bid to Fleetwood for Wiredu's services, ahead of a potential move to the Brick Community Stadium this month.

The amount put forward by Wigan for Wiredu is currently unclear, but interest in him should come as little surprise, given that he has consistently shone while at Fleetwood, and was previously a target for Championship side Stoke City.

TEAMtalk reported last May that the Potters were among a number of clubs eyeing a move for the highly-rated defender, who can also play as a central midfielder, but a move never materialised despite sporting director Jon Walters' links to the Fishermen.

Since then, Football Insider revealed in August that fellow Championship sides Derby County, Oxford United and Plymouth Argyle were all plotting moves to sign the 25-year-old ahead of respectively tough second-tier campaigns, but again, he remained at Highbury for the start of this season.

Fleetwood and Pete Wild will not want to lose a key man like Wiredu

It is fair to say that things have not gone to plan for Fleetwood this season, with the club currently sat in 16th place in League Two despite only being relegated from the third-tier last season, with Charlie Adam sacked as head-coach last month following a run of one win in 11 league games.

Former Barrow boss Pete Wild has been entrusted to turn their dismal fortunes around for the second-half of the season and beyond, and he will certainly want to keep hold of his best players, such as Wiredu, but may find it hard to do so should interest from League One sides such as the Latics continues.

London-born Wiredu has been a near ever-present for Town over the last two-and-a-half seasons in both the third and fourth tiers, with 105 appearances for the club to date and a nomination for the League One Player of the Season award by the North West Football Awards in his debut campaign.

He has made 19 appearances in all competitions so far, with starts in every game he has been involved in and only some games missed because of injury, so it is clear that he is a key component to any success that Fleetwood could have going forward, but now may be the right time for him and the club to part ways.