Wigan Athletic plan to keep Kyle Joseph but may be tempted by bids of £1 million for the reported Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur target, administrator Paul Stanley has told Wigan Today.
One of the few bright sparks in a difficult season for crisis-hit Latics, Scotland U19 international Joseph has found the net five times in a struggling side – three of those coming in a glorious December afternoon against fellow relegation-scrappers Burton Albion.
And his breakthrough campaign hasn’t gone unnoticed in the higher echelons of British football.
The Sun (10 January, page 58) and The Mirror (14 January, page 70) believe Tottenham, Celtic and Sheffield United are big fans of the talented teenager.
Rangers, meanwhile, were working on a deal that would see Joseph, a free agent in the summer, move to Ibrox on a pre-contract basis – similar to the agreement recently struck with Aberdeen winger Scott Wright.
But, according to Stanley, Wigan are “not planning” to lose one of their prized assets before Monday’s transfer deadline.
“We’re not planning on losing Kyle and we’re certainly not encouraging any more bids for him,” says Stanley, who admits Barnsley made a bid last week.
“We’re getting towards the end of the window now so, unless somebody came in with a stupid offer, we wouldn’t even be looking at it – and we haven’t looked at it.
“No-one else has come in, and we don’t want anyone else to come in.
“Obviously we also have a duty to the creditors and, if someone came in with a million quid up front, we might have a decision to make.
“But at the same time I don’t want to do anything to jeopardise the sale of the club. I don’t want the club to get relegated and you want to keep hold of your best players.
“So, as far as that goes, we’re not encouraging any offers and we don’t want any more offers.”
Wigan’s stance could hardly be clearer.
Unless Celtic, Rangers, Spurs and co are willing to put a seven-figure sum on the table, they can forget about taking one of the Football League’s most exciting young strikers this month.
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