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Wigan Athletic sanction midfield exit to Oldham Athletic Wigan Athletic midfielder Kai Payne has joined League Two Oldham Athletic on a season-long loan – his THIRD temporary spell with the ‘other’ Latics. The 21-year-old spent last term at Boundary Park, scoring twice in 25 appearances. He also spent a month at Oldham in the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, before injury curtailed his stay. "I'm absolutely delighted to be back at Oldham,” said Payne. “It It’s a place that really feels like home and I didn't need much convincing to come back for another season. "I really enjoyed last year, learned so much and felt I developed as both a player and a person. "We made great progress as a team last season and the aim is to kick on once again. Hopefully we can build on last season and have another successful year together." Oldham manager Micky Mellon could not hide his delight at securing another deal for the Wigan academy product. He said: "Kai has been excellent for us in every spell here and we're delighted to have him back. “He's a player who understands what we're about, knows the standards we expect and fits perfectly into the way we want to play. "He's still a young player with huge potential, but he's already shown the quality and consistency needed to make an impact at this level. “His attitude is first-class, he works incredibly hard and we're looking forward to seeing him continue his development in an Oldham shirt." A statement from Payne’s parent club read: “Wigan Athletic can confirm that midfielder Kai Payne has joined Oldham Athletic on a season-long loan. “Kai rejoins the Sky Bet League Two side after spending a month with them in 2024 before spending the full 2025/26 campaign at Boundary Park, with the combative midfielder now aiming to continue his development with Micky Mellon's side once again throughout the remainder of the 2026/27 season. “Payne featured 35 times across all competitions for Mellon's men last term, scoring two and assisting two along the way. All the best, Kai!" Payne becomes the third departure in just over 24 hours, following Joseph Hungbo’s season-long loan move to Swindon Town, and Jonny Smith’s switch to Rochdale on a two-year contract.