Wigan Athetic must brace as Nottingham Forest eye £3m star | OneFootball

The Latics must be fearful of Nottingham Forest's interest in Thelo Aasgaard

Wigan Athletic find themselves in danger of being involved in a serious fight against relegation, after losing at home to fellow strugglers Leyton Orient last Saturday.

Matters were looking up for the Latics last month, as they managed back-to-back wins in League One for the first time since April, with victories over Barnsley and Northampton Town, before they progressed to the third round of the FA Cup with an away triumph at Cambridge United.

However, Shaun Maloney's men have endured a woeful start to December, as they suffered an away defeat to Huddersfield Town, before losing 2-0 at home to Orient.

The Tics were subsequently knocked out of the EFL Trophy by League Two Chesterfield on Tuesday night, which left supporters nervous ahead of Saturday's trip to face bitter rivals Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

And to potentially make matters worse for Maloney and co in the near future, Premier League Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Latics star man Thelo Aasgaard, who is worth £3m, according to Alan Nixon.

The Greater Manchester side have long since known about their academy graduate who first burst onto the scene during the club's time in administration, and stepped up to the plate with three goals and two assists in 33 League One appearances during the 2020/21 season, which helped keep the Latics in the third tier.

Aasgaard subsequently played his part as the Tics won the 2021/22 League One title, as he scored an injury time winner against Shrewsbury Town in December 2021, during one of just five league outings he made that campaign.

Another notable moment in the attacking midfielder's career also arrived that campaign, as he scored a long-range stunner to guide his side to a 3-2 win over local rivals Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup third round.

The Norway youth international subsequently made a name for himself at Championship level during the 2022/23 season, as a late winner against Luton Town was the best of the three goals he managed in the second tier, but his exploits could not save the Greater Manchester club from relegation.

Then, last season, he produced his best return to date, with nine goals and four assists in 39 appearances across all competitions, including eight goals in League One.

But this campaign, Aasgaard looks on course to achieve his career-best output in terms of goals, as he has already managed to score on seven occasions this term, with five goals in the third tier, and one in each of the FA Cup and EFL Cup.

He is the shining light in a poor Latics attack who have scored just 15 goals in 18 League One fixtures so far this term, so losing him could have devastating consequences for Maloney and co amid the fight against the drop.

Furthermore, it could prove difficult to stave off advances for the 22-year-old from Premier League Forest, especially if the Tics academy graduate himself appears keen on a move come the January transfer window.

Forest face competition for Aasgaard's services

If the Latics want to keep Aasgaard at the Brick Community Stadium this January, they will not only have to stave off potential advances from Forest, but also from other interested parties.

Nixon has also reported that Championship outfit Stoke City are keen on the Tics starlet, while as per Football League World's exclusive, fellow second tier side Blackburn Rovers also remain interested.

So, Maloney and co are likely to face an uphill battle if they wish to retain the Norway youth international for the rest of the campaign, and the worst case scenario could be an unwanted spot in next season's League Two if they fail to adjust to Aasgaard's potential exit.