Harbinger Of Glory

Despite all the work being done on the pitch, there was plenty to be done away from it.

As the first half of the season drew to a close, clubs across Europe began assessing their performances and identifying areas for improvement.

For some, the January transfer window offered an opportunity to salvage a disappointing campaign.

Others were looking to strengthen before their shortcomings became more costly, while clubs with ambitions of qualifying for European competition were already weighing up how far their current squads could take them.

Wigan Athletic were no exception.

Despite sitting at the top of the Premier League table with a considerable gap between themselves and their closest challengers, the Latics had no intention of leaving the transfer market entirely to their rivals.

Their remarkable start had exceeded almost every expectation, but Dawson knew better than to assume that a good first half of the season guaranteed an equally successful second.

There were weaknesses to address, players who needed more minutes and positions where the squad lacked sufficient depth.

With the January window now open, the club finally had an opportunity to do something about them.

It was a decision that had been long overdue.

At the start of the season, Mike Dawson made funds available for further investment in the squad after Wigan’s promotion to the Premier League.

The new chairman wanted to make the most of the club’s new position, and the early signs of what Dawson’s team could achieve had only strengthened that desire.

The manager, however, had urged caution.

He had argued that making too many changes before the team had established itself would do more harm than good.

Wigan needed time to discover what they already had, identify their genuine weaknesses, and understand which players they could rely on at the highest level.

Spending heavily before that process was complete would have meant recruiting for problems they might not even have had.

Danson had accepted his reasoning, and now, with half the season behind them, Dawson was ready to make use of the opportunity.

The discussion took place in one of the meeting rooms in Wigan’s administrative block, a short distance from the training complex.

Dawson sat at the end of the table with several members of the recruitment department, a laptop open in front of him and a collection of scouting reports spread across the table.

They had already spent the better part of a few hours discussing potential additions, but one position kept coming up.

The left side of the attack.

Carlo Regutti had done well since arriving on loan from Manchester City, offering pace, directness and the ability to carry the ball into dangerous areas.

His understanding with the players around him had also improved as the season progressed.

The problem was that Wigan could not assume he would still be there next season.

Unless another agreement was reached, Carlo would return to his parent club at the end of the campaign, and the latter seemed most likely given how well he had performed.

James McClean offered another option on that side, but the Irishman was a left midfielder rather than a natural winger, and his thirty-fifth birthday was approaching.

His experience remained valuable, particularly in difficult matches, but Dawson knew that relying on him to cover the position indefinitely would be asking too much.

”We need someone who can play on the left without forcing us to change the way we attack,” one of the recruitment staff explained, bringing up a report on the laptop.

”Ideally, someone who can operate as a winger but is comfortable coming inside when Reyes moves wide.”

Dawson nodded, studying the information.

”Someone who can give us something different as well. I don’t want another player who does exactly what Carlo does. If we’re going to bring someone in, he needs to give us another option.”

There was also the question of the loan itself.

Manchester City could, in theory, have recalled Carlo during the window, leaving Wigan scrambling to find a replacement with very little time remaining.

It was a possibility that had been discussed when the loan was arranged, particularly given how well the young winger had performed, and Dawson shook his head when it came up again.

”They can’t just call him back because they’ve changed their minds. We made sure there was no recall clause unless they had a serious injury crisis in that position or something equally exceptional. They agreed to it.”

One of the staff members nodded and then looked towards the pile of reports in front.

”So we’re covered for now.”

”For now,” Dawson replied.

He leaned back in his chair, considering the reports in front of him.

”Still, let’s put a pin in that. We need to look at the other positions before we decide where the money goes.”

While that went on, another member of the recruitment team took the opportunity to bring up a separate concern.

”That brings us to departures.”

Dawson looked to him, his brows furrowing as he beckoned the former to continue.

”Baba Adeeko, for one. He’s made it clear that he wants to look at his options. He feels he needs regular first-team football, and at the moment, he’s third choice in the double pivot.”

It wasn’t difficult to see why, when you thought about him.

He joined the first team right after Leo did in the Championship, but Leo became one of the first names on the teamsheet, while he struggled to get minutes, with Tiehi and Max Power generally preferred when Dawson needed to make changes.

Adeeko had worked hard in training, but opportunities had been limited, and at his stage of development, another half-season watching from the bench would do little for him.

Dawson lowered his eyes to the table and then nodded.

”And I was looking to start him.”

The remark came out quietly, almost as though he were speaking to himself.

He had been considering giving Adeeko more opportunities in the cup competitions, and the Bolton fixture was precisely the kind of match where he hoped to assess him over a longer period.

The midfielder’s desire for regular football was understandable, but losing him before Dawson could properly evaluate his progress would be frustrating.

”Which clubs have been in contact?” he asked.

”Wolves are keen,” the staff member replied. ”They’ve been following his situation and have asked us to keep them informed.”

Dawson nodded slowly.

”All right. Let’s hear what they have to say before we make a decision.”

”There have also been enquiries about Ashley Fletcher. Werder Bremen have made contact to ask about his availability.”