Transfer Centre

Five players who could leave Wigan Athletic

By Liam Apicella, Features Editor | 02 June 2013

Sports Mole takes a look at five players who could leave Wigan Athletic following their recent relegation to the Championship.

Having spent the last eight years playing in the Premier League, Wigan Athletic will start next season as a Championship club following their relegation in May.

Even though the club will be playing in the Europa League for the very first time thanks to their triumph in the final of the FA Cup over Manchester City at Wembley, it was not enough to convince manager Roberto Martinez to stay and the Spaniard is shortly expected to take charge of Everton.

Recent reports have claimed that a number of players are ready to follow their boss out of the DW Stadium exit door. With that in mind, Sports Mole has decided upon the five that are most likely to leave and where they could be heading.

Callum McManaman

The emergence of the 22-year-old winger was one of the brightest points of Wigan's campaign. Having only made six Premier League appearances during the previous four seasons, McManaman burst onto the scene with a string of impressive performances during his 20 outings last term. It was in the FA Cup where he showed his true potential, though, scoring three goals as the Latics reached Wembley, where he then put in a man of the match of display as his side won 1-0.

Suitable for - Liverpool: Brendan Rodgers added Philippe Coutinho in January and is keen to sign Iago Aspas this summer - both are diminutive footballers who are comfortable on the ball. McManaman falls into that bracket and he would also offer the Reds another threat going forward with his ability to cross with either foot.

James McCarthy

The Republic of Ireland international featured in every one of Wigan's Premier League matches last season and was arguably their most consistent performer. He arrived in the Premier League from Hamilton Academical in 2009 with the reputation as a tireless midfielder, but he showed this season that he could also be a threat in the final third of the pitch. His performance during the FA Cup final, where he shackled Yaya Toure for large parts, earned him a large number of plaudits.

Suitable for - Everton: The Toffees have a good squad on paper, but it is a small one. With Marouane Fellaini also tipped to move on, the arrival of McCarthy would be a big boost at Goodison Park. He is an Everton-type player, meaning that he possesses a bit of quality but will always give 100%.

Arouna Kone

But for the Ivory Coast international's goals, Wigan would have been relegated long before their fate was actually sealed. The 29-year-old scored 13 times in all competitions, 11 of which came in the Premier League. While his first touch at times can leave a little to be desired, Kone has the pace that can cause defenders numerous problems.

Suitable for - Sunderland: The Black Cats hardly set the world alight last year when it came to find the net. Steven Fletcher was their leading goalscorer on 11, but he spent the last two months on the sidelines with an ankle injury, while January signing Danny Graham is still awaiting his first goal in a Sunderland shirt. The speed that Kone possesses would make him the ideal foil for either of those two.

Shaun Maloney

The Scottish international was far and away Wigan's most creative player over the last 10 months. At times his feet were so quick that it looked as though he would comfortably get into any squad in the Premier League. Maloney is also a danger when taking a free kick - a statement he backed up against the likes of Queens Park Rangers and Arsenal towards the end of the season.

Suitable for - Swansea: Michael Laudrup's men played some attractive football last year and it would be a major surprise if Scot Maloney didn't take to it like a duck to water. He can play anywhere along the frontline and would also ease some of the goalscoring burden on Michu.

Antolin Alcaraz

Martinez has gone on the record numerous times to say that the injury suffered by Alcaraz was a major contributing factor to his side's relegation. The 30-year-old picked up a groin problem while on international duty with Paraguay in September and did not return until late February. He is a no-thrills defender who is fully aware of his limits, which means that he very rarely tries to over-complicate matters.

Suitable for - Newcastle United: Fabricio Coloccini is expected to return to his native Argentina this summer, which would leave a gaping hole in the Newcastle defence. It's a void that Alcaraz could plug and he is unlikely to hurt the wallet too much either.