Wigan Athletic supporters should be excited by Shaun Maloney promises: View | OneFootball

Wigan Athletic boss Shaun Maloney has done a solid job with the Latics in trying circumstances since becoming the club's manager in January 2023.

When the League One side appointed the former Hibernian boss, the Latics sat bottom of the Championship and were four points adrift of safety following a dire spell under Kolo Toure, who failed to win a single game during his nine-match tenure.

As a player, Maloney contributed to the club's 2011/12 Premier League great escape effort and 11 years later he found himself tasked with maintaining the side's Championship status from the dugout.

Ultimately, the former Scotland international was unable to deliver this tricky feat, as Wigan were relegated back to League One at the end of the 2022/23 Championship campaign, but supporters did not point the blame Maloney's way, as the club were deducted three points amid financial uncertainty overseen by former owner Abdulrahman Al Jasmi.

The summer of 2023 played witness to a great deal of uncertainty as the club found themselves subject to an HMRC winding-up petition but Mike Danson's takeover saved the club and kept the incumbent manager in place.

However, the 2023/24 season was not always a smooth ride for Maloney and co, who started the season on -8 due to deductions and were unable to sign players for two consecutive transfer windows due to an embargo, leaving the club reliant upon academy graduates.

But the former Hibs boss was able to steer his club to an unlikely top-half finish, so the Latics can look forward to the 2024 summer transfer window and will hope for a successful 2024/25 campaign.

Latics supporters should be excited by Maloney's promises

Maloney has proven that he is able to manage the Latics in tricky circumstances, so fans will be excited to see what he can do when his team are not restrained by a transfer embargo.

Looking ahead to the transfer window and the 2024/25 season, the 41-year-old recently told Wigan Today: "We've been working on this window for a while.

"There's a lot of hard work being done behind the scenes, but being done very quietly.

"There's a lot of plans in place, and there's a lot of profiles I want in our team.

"I'm very specific in terms of the kind of profile we will need to enable us to play the way we have done these last few games, that will help us to get even better.

"We'll be young, we certainly won't be anywhere near the top in terms of size or budget. But I want more in terms of league position, and I want to finish in the top six.

"I know our budget says that shouldn't happen, but I feel we can overachieve if we play a certain way, and we get the right recruitment.

"If we can recruit the right types of players, if I can get it right, if I can improve myself as a manager tactically, then I think something special can happen next season."

Latics fans will undoubtedly feel excited by these claims from Maloney and will hope that their side can land a play-off spot in a bid to bring Championship football back to the club.

The manager has stated that he is specific about the profile of player he is looking for this summer, and offers have already been made for these players, which is a prospect that will delight the Brick Community Stadium.

Towards the end of the 2023/24 season, Maloney spoke of reinstalling the club's DNA, and the summer transfer window offers him with the biggest opportunity yet to do just that.

The former Celtic attacking midfielder played for the Latics under Roberto Martinez, and has brought the Spaniard's possession-based football back to Wigan with a squad full of youth players and free agent signings, so it can be assumed that offers the manager has mentioned have been made for players who suit this style of play.

Maloney is now able to go out and sign his own players who can fit his mould, and now that he has hinted at the prospect of landing a 2024/25 play-off spot, Latics fans could witness a campaign in which their side plays an attractive brand of football reminiscent of the club's glory days and wins a lot of games.

Latics must navigate Charlie Hughes and Sam Tickle situations

Maloney has hinted that the Latics are going to be busy this transfer window as far as incomings are concerned, but the Greater Manchester side also look set to see some departures this summer.

The i reported that Premier League duo West Ham and Brentford, as well as Ipswich Town, who will be joining the duo in the top-flight next campaign, are all interested in Charlie Hughes, who has impressed in defence for Wigan throughout the 2023/24 campaign, as well as representeing England at youth international level with the Men's Elite League Squad.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Sam Tickle has represented the England Under-21s this season, and The Athletic have credited Everton with interest in the ace.

Latics supporters will be enthused by Maloney's recent promises, but the club's transfer activity is likely to be dictated by the potential exits of both Hughes and Tickle.