Wigan Athletic should take advantage of Charlton Athletic player call: View | OneFootball

We’re right in the midst of retained list season, and with those announcements comes plenty of speculation over players’ futures once they leave their current employers.

There will be goodbyes aplenty in the next few weeks at clubs up and down the land, as the search for new recruits begins ahead of the next campaign, with August sure to be here before we know it.

Charlton Athletic have wasted no time in deciding who they want sticking around The Valley for the upcoming campaign, with eight players set to leave the club once their contracts come to an end this summer.

One of those is versatile defender Terell Thomas, with that news likely to prick the ears of a League One rival who were very much in demand of his services earlier in the year.

Wigan Athletic could benefit from Charlton Athletic Terell Thomas situation

Thomas will join the likes of Michael Hector, Diallang Jaiyesimi, Jack Payne and Connor Wickham in leaving the Addicks this summer, with the quartet among the cluster of players deemed to be surplus to requirements by boss Nathan Jones.

The Welshman took the Athletic job back in February, and looks set to revamp the squad in his first transfer window in charge of the club, with a number of older heads making way for the new arrivals during the off-season.

It will be an emotional goodbye for Thomas, who rejoined his boyhood club in September 2022 having been left for Wigan Athletic years earlier; going on to make over 50 appearances across his two seasons in South London.

Having played for a number of clubs across the EFL including AFC Wimbledon, Crewe Alexandra and Reading, the defender boasts a wealth of experience for any potential suitor this summer to call upon this summer, with his performances this year proving he still has the ability to perform in the third tier.

Former club Wigan were rumoured to be interested in bringing the defender back to the club in the most recent January transfer window, with Barnsley also said to be monitoring his progress after a strong start to the season.

With 40 League One matches under his belt in 23/24, Thomas has been utilised right the way across the backline this season; filling both full back roles on occasion as well as his usual centre back berth.

That sort of adaptability would make him a key asset for many sides in the EFL, with a dependable performer who is always available to be called upon worth their weight in gold over the course of a gruelling league campaign.

Wigan Athletic potential departures this summer pave the way for Thomas recruitment

Shaun Maloney is another manager facing another summer of upheaval with the Latics, and the 41-year-old will need to bolster his backline with six defenders set to leave the club.

Athletic have relied heavily on loan stars to fill the gaps at the back this campaign, with Charlie Goode and Liam Morrison set to return to Brentford and Bayern Munich respectively, while Kell Watts will go back to Newcastle United and Luke Chambers, Liverpool.

Of the players on permanent deals, Tom Pearce’s time at the DW Stadium looks to be coming to an end, as does Jason Kerr’s, although the latter has expressed his desire to stay with the club past the summer.

That will leave just promising star Charlie Hughes as the only centre back in the squad if the aforementioned stars do move on, with Sean Clare and Steven Sessegnon filling the full back roles.

With a squad down to the bare bones, a player like Thomas could fit perfectly back into the place he briefly called home, and he would be looking to improve on his eight appearances for the club during his year in Lancashire in his early career.

It’s a move that seems to make sense for both player and club, and the Latics should be acting sooner rather than later to avoid missing out on their very own Mr. Dependable.