Wigan Athletic are close to securing the services of West Ham United flop Jordan Hugill, it has been reported.
The Hammers have agreed on a £3million deal to strike Hugill off their books after an unsatisfactory spell at the London Stadium, it has been claimed by The Sun.
Hugill joined the London based outfit in the January transfer window of 2018 but has managed to muster merely 35 minutes on the pitch for them.
Notably, the Englishman was excluded from his side’s pre-season trip to China despite the fact that Javier Hernandez was their only recognised striker apart from him.
According to Gazette Live, Manuel Pellegrini’s camp is desperate to cut their losses on the attacker for whom they paid £10million eighteen months ago.
Hugill is yet to agree to personal terms with the Latics and it is believed that the Championship outfit are willing to offer him half of his current wages of £40,000-a-week.
Last summer, he was lured by Middlesbrough on loan but he flattered to deceive. The Smoggies were invited to sign him permanently earlier this summer, which they declined.
A Good Move For All Parties?
Wigan Athletic finished eighteenth in the English second division last season and it goes without saying that they need to enhance their arsenal in the ongoing transfer window.
Joe Garner is the only recognized centre-forward at the DW Stadium and signing an experienced player like Hugill could be beneficial for the Tics.
The 27-year-old works incredibly hard on the pitch and this might be the reason why Paul Cook is apparently keen to make him sign on the dotted line.
Prior to his move to West Ham United, he was a clinical goal scorer for Preston North End and could be handed a lifeline by Wigan Athletic if his move to their ranks materializes.
Although the Irons have already sold Lucas Perez and Marko Arnautovic and released Andy Carroll, they utilised all that money to break the bank for Sebastian Haller.
Hugill is good in the air and when he is in form, he can score goals regularly for his side. Besides, he can hold the ball well and can link-up with his teammates in a decent manner.
Under the tutelage of Cook, he is expected to get an adequate amount of game time under his belt, something which he is not expected to get if he stays with the Irons.
However, Cook must be wary of the fact that he scored just 6 goals in 37 appearances in the Championship last season, and he will be under a lot of pressure to resurrect himself.
Nonetheless, it appears at the onset that the deal could be a good move for all the parties involved. Pellegrini would be able to trim his squad and make room for necessary reinforcements.
Besides, Wigan Athletic would be able to inject competition for the striker’s position in their starting lineup, and Hugill could get to feature regularly with slightly lowered expectations which might, in turn, help him play without pressure.