Wigan Athletic stepping up Blackpool player pursuit | OneFootball

One player could be set for a return to the DW Stadium

Wigan Athletic have made a bid to re-sign Blackpool striker Kyle Joseph in this summer's transfer window.

That's according to a report from Football Insider, who say that another club have also made an offer to sign the 22-year-old.

Joseph is, of course, no stranger to Wigan, having come through the youth ranks to start his senior career with the Latics.

In total, the striker made 20 first-team appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring five goals before joining Swansea City in the summer of 2021, when his contract expired.

Having moved to the Welsh club, Joseph also had spells out on loan elsewhere, before being sold to Blackpool last summer.

Now, however, it seems as though the striker could be on the move once again with the market now well underway.

Wigan Athletic chase Kyle Joseph reunion

As per this latest update, Wigan have made a bid to sign Joseph from Blackpool, as they look to add to their options this summer.

The Latics may not have it all their own way though in pursuit of the 22-year-old, with Shaun Maloney's side thought to be just one of two clubs who have made a bid for him.

For his part, it is claimed that Joseph is interested in a potential move away from Blackpool this summer, after becoming frustrated with a lack of game time.

He made 37 appearances in all competitions for the Seasiders during his debut campaign with the club last season, as they finished eighth in the League One table, three points adrift of the play-offs.

As things stand, there are still two years remaining on Joseph's contract with Blackpool, securing his future at Bloomfield Road until the end of the 2025/26 season.

That will give the club scope to negotiate those bids that come in for the striker during the transfer window.

For their part, Wigan finished last season 12th in League One, 14 points off the top six spots, despite an eight point deduction for financial reasons earlier in that campaign.

The Latics have already made three senior signings in this summer's transfer window. Winger Michael Olakigbe and right-back Calvin Ramsay have joined on loan from Brentford and Liverpool respectively.

Meanwhile, midfielder Dion Rankine has signed on a permanent deal from another Premier League side in the form of Chelsea.

Kyle Joseph return would be popular at The DW Stadium

It does feel as though re-signing Joseph is a move that would go down well among those of a Wigan persuasion.

Any player who comes through a club's academy is likely to be a popular figure there, and Joseph was no different, especially with the quick impact he made for them on the pitch.

As a result, it would no doubt be a welcome sight for those connected with the club to see him back at The DW Stadium, where he knows how to make an impression.

Indeed, Wigan are badly lacking in options at centre forward at this moment in time, with the relatively inexperienced Josh Stones their only natural option for that role right now.

Bringing Joseph back to the club could therefore be a good move from a footballing perspective, as well as an emotional one, given they will need sources of goals from that position.

So, with that in mind, it does seem as though the signing of the Blackpool striker could be well worth trying to complete for Wigan Athletic, during this transfer window.