Wigan Athletic should gamble on likely Ipswich Town sale: View | OneFootball

It’s safe to say that Panutche Camara’s career hasn’t gone the way a lot of people thought it would after his promising displays a few years ago, but this summer could be the big break the Guinea-Bissau international needs to reignite his career.

The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Charlton Athletic in League One from Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town, and is set to leave Portman Road this summer following the expiration of his current deal in Suffolk.

The midfielder has featured just four times for the Tractor Boys since joining them from Plymouth Argyle in the summer of 2022, with long-term injury wrecking his chances of becoming a prominent figure for Kieran McKenna’s side.

There are still plenty of clubs that would benefit from having a box-to-box midfielder within their ranks though, with a team like Wigan Athletic sure to benefit from the wealth of talents he possesses when fully fit.

Panutche Camara early career in England: Crawley Town, Plymouth Argyle

Camara rose to prominence after a string of outstanding performances for Crawley Town in League Two at the start of his career, with over 100 matches for the Sussex side before being snapped up by Argyle in the summer of 2020.

With his galloping gait and insatiable desire to put pressure on the player in possession, the midfielder thrived in Ryan Lowe’s side in the third tier, while his happy-go-lucky attitude worked wonders at winning over the Home Park faithful.

Whether it is hounding the opposition midfield, or sauntering through the centre of the park to kickstart a counterattack, he had rightly earned a reputation as a bit of an enforcer for the Pilgrims, and regularly grabbed a game by the scruff of the neck.

Those qualities were enough to see League One rivals Ipswich fork out half a million pounds to acquire his services in the summer of 2022, although the Tractor Boys will look back at that deal with regret after the way things panned out.

The midfielder had already required groin surgery while still an Argyle player, but just months later the issue returned; leaving him sidelined for much of his initial campaign in Suffolk, as his teammates secured promotion to the Championship.

With the step-up in quality resulting in an improvement in teammates, Camara was offloaded to League One Charlton Athletic at the start of the current campaign, although numerous setback have once again limited game time for the Addicks.

What Wigan Athletic would gain if they secured Panutche Camara deal

Although he is a player with a question mark over his fitness, Camara has already proved that he is a player of outstanding ability once he gets a run in the first team for any League One side.

With a ceiling that would probably stretch to Championship level if he could sustain fitness, the Bissau-Guinean will have the time he needs to recover during the off-season before being unleashed on the third tier once again.

With his ability to raise the energy levels for his side and storm into dangerous positions when his side attack, the Latics could really benefit from a player with his power and pace in the middle of the park.

With the likes of academy graduate pair Babajide Adeeko and Thelo Aasgaard excelling for Shaun Maloney’s side this season, the addition of another energetic midfielder could be the difference once the Latics start on a level playing field with the rest of the division in the next campaign.

Athletic were docked eight points at the start of the current season for financial irregularities - which all but ended any higher aspirations before they had even begun - but will head into the next campaign eager for the chance to return to the Championship.

A player of Camara’s calibre can add plenty in the centre of the park; he is the perfect all-rounder that any manager dreams of, while his work ethic can barely be questioned once he does get into the first team.

It would be a massive gamble to take on someone who you know has the tag of an injury-prone player, but whoever does get their hands on him will realise his qualities as soon as he takes to the field.

Once he gets going, he could be the difference between being also-rans and challenging for promotion next season, and the Latics will be ruing a missed opportunity if he goes elsewhere.