Wigan Athletic set to take action on star following Everton links | OneFootball

After making his Wigan Athletic debut in a 0-0 draw with Rotherham United on the last day of the 2022/23 Championship campaign, goalkeeper Sam Tickle has kept an impressive tally of seven clean sheets from 24 League One games this term.

The Latics have had a difficult 2023, which has included relegation from the Championship, a winding up petition, as well as several points deductions as a result of the former ownership group's financial mismanagement. That saw the club begin the current League One campaign on -8 points.

But there have been some positives for the Latics over the last 12 months, with several academy graduates making their first team debut for manager Shaun Maloney, but Tickle is perhaps the starlet who has shone the most.

As per The Athletic, the average age of goalkeepers to have made an appearance in the Premier League or EFL this season is 27.6, but only 14 goalkeepers across England's top four tiers have played more minutes than Tickle, 21, this season.

This is a statistic which demonstrates Tickle's consistency and reliability at a young age, especially as Maloney has 32-year-old Ben Amos, who won the League One title with the Latics in 2022, to choose from in the goalkeeping department.

Tickle's performances have not only kept the experienced Amos out of the Tics' starting 11, but they have caught the eye of the wider footballing world as the former Warrington Rylands man has been called up to Lee Carsley's England under-21 squad on two occasions already this season.

Premier League interest in the Latics academy product should therefore come as no surprise, and a recent update via Alan Nixon on Patreon demonstrates the Greater Manchester side's need to renew Tickle's contract.

Wigan Athletic hope to keep Sam Tickle at the club

As the January transfer window opens, Maloney and co will be wanting to do all they can to keep Tickle at the DW Stadium amid interest in their star man between the sticks.

Nixon previously reported that Premier League outfit Everton had an interest in the Latics shot-stopper and the latest update from the same journalist may show that this interest has not gone away.

On Sunday morning, Nixon wrote on Patreon: "Wigan hope to tie down top young keeper Sam Tickle to a new contract- despite his fan club growing.

"Tickle was recently called up by England at under-21 level as his breakthrough season takes him into the public eye.

"And although a handful have pencilled in moves for home grown Tickle he could be open to signing for Latics in fresh terms."

It wouldn't be a surprise if the Toffees have retained their interest considering their lack of goalkeeping options.

Jordan Pickford is an excellent shot-stopper to have, but following Asmir Begovic's departure, he doesn't have much cover and alternative option Joao Virginia doesn't have too much senior experience under his belt.

According to The Athletic, Tickle's contract at the DW Stadium lasts until 2026, so a contract extension would, at the very least, increase the sort of transfer fee the Latics would demand for their talented shot-stopper.

Furthermore, a new deal at the League One club would demonstrate the 21-year-old's commitment to Shaun Maloney's side, and could signal that he does not want to part company with Latics just yet.

Tickle is clearly enjoying life at the Tics and is playing as many minutes as possible in League One. A move to a Premier League side could result in a significant decline in game time, which would pose a risk to his place in the England under-21 setup.

A move to the Toffees could be particularly damaging for Tickle at this point, as England's senior number one, Pickford, is undroppable for Sean Dyche and co.