Wigan Athletic will hope Saturday can earn them extra cash in Hull City transfer: View | OneFootball

Wigan Athletic can raise their asking price for Charlie Hughes amid Hull City interest if he performs well on Saturday against Charlton Athletic

Wigan Athletic host Charlton Athletic in their League One opener on Saturday evening, and will be looking to earn all three points at the first time of asking.

Naturally, the primary objective of Shaun Maloney's men will be to win the game against a strong Addicks side managed by the highly rated Nathan Jones, and to send a message to the rest of League One by doing so.

But Latics club chiefs such as owner Mike Danson will also have the performance of Charlie Hughes on their minds amid continued transfer interest from Championship outfit Hull City, who are searching for a Jacob Greaves replacement after the 23-year-old left for Premier League newboys Ipswich Town.

The central defender has been one of Wigan's key players ever since making his debut during the 2022/23 Championship season, in which he was a shining light in an otherwise poor side who were relegated from the second tier.

The 20-year-old then particularly impressed with the Latics in League One last season as they landed an unlikely top-half finish by overcoming the challenges of an eight-point deduction and a transfer embargo.

Hughes' strong performances in Tics colours during the 2023/24 campaign saw him earn multiple caps for the England Men's Elite League Squad, formerly known as the under-20s.

Meanwhile, the Brick Community Stadium faithful will not be surprised that there is strong Championship interest in one of their club's best players, while the starlet himself arguably deserves to be plying his trade in the second tier.

According to the Hull Daily Mail, the Tigers have made a bid of over £5m for Hughes' services, but the Latics will want to hold out for more money than that as the centre-back is one of the club's finest homegrown talents, and a strong performance from the youngster on Saturday would help their cause.

Hughes demonstrated his talent last season, as he proved his defensive solidity, while he was also integral towards Maloney's philosophy of playing possession-based football out from the back.

Furthermore, the centre-half also has the ability to get in among goals for his team in important moments, and scored on four occasions last campaign, including a last-minute winner against Lincoln City back in April.

If Hughes can produce yet another strong showing against the Addicks on Saturday, then the Tigers should be tempted to come back in with a higher bid for his services, while Maloney recently reiterated owner Danson's aspirations to make the Latics a financially sustainable football club, which could mean that the Greater Manchester outfit are likely to sell their man for the right price.

While the potential sale of the youngster would clearly help Maloney and co from a monetary point of view, the departure of such a good player would not be an ideal outcome as far as on-field matters are concerned.

The Latics have signed Will Aimson and Toby Sibbick this summer, who could both be viewed as Hughes replacements, while Luke Chambers can also play as a centre-half in a back three as also seen last campaign.

But Hughes has some attributes to his game which are rarely seen from his fellow League One defenders, such as his ability to begin attacking moves by playing eye-of-the-needle long passes on a regular basis.

In fact, according to FotMob, he played 250 accurate long balls in the third tier last season, which is something Maloney's men will miss if he does join the Tigers.

However, the Latics would be pleased to receive a handsome transfer fee for Hughes as they look to remain a stable club following recent turbulent times.