news-engine

← wigan_athletic

Caldwell says Latics working on 'two or three' signings as recruitment update given

· Greg Farrimond · 2026-08-02 · nguồn gốc

Gary Caldwell says Wigan Athletic working on 'two or three' signings as recruitment update given Gary Caldwell has provided the latest on Wigan Athletic’s recruitment with a month left of the summer transfer window Wigan Athletic boss Gary Caldwell says the club are ‘working hard on two or three’ new signings, but wasn’t able to confirm whether any are imminent. With supporters increasingly concerned by the lack of summer arrivals, the Latics boss acknowledged the club are still trying to strengthen before the transfer window closes on September 1, although there are no guarantees over when deals will be completed. Speaking after Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Grimsby Town in the club's final pre-season friendly, Caldwell said: “We're working hard to bring people in. When that happens, some days you think it's miles off, some days you think it's very close, and it becomes miles off. It just is what it is. "It's this part of the season where you are trying to constantly improve the squad and make it better, and I think it's clear we have to make the depth of the squad better. "But as of this moment in time, I'll phone Joe (Riley, head of recruitment) when I get on the bus and see what great news he's got for me today, but at the moment, I don’t envisage anyone coming in anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean to say it won’t happen this week. We are working hard on two or three different ones that hopefully we can get done.” Asked how many additions he believes the squad still requires, Caldwell said his priority is ensuring Wigan are in a much stronger position by the time the transfer window closes on September 1. While he admitted the current group lacks the depth needed to compete at the top end of League One, he stressed that recruitment must be balanced against the club's financial restrictions, with departures potentially needed before further business can be completed. When the club announced their retained and released list following the conclusion of last season, Latics placed five players available for transfer - Joseph Hungbo, Baba Adeeko, Jonny Smith, Ronan Darcy and Maleace Asamoah - all of whom are currently still at the club, with Asamoah on loan at Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland’s Premier Division. "I think we just need to get to the end of the window with a more competitive squad that has, you know, players competing for positions," Caldwell said when asked if he had a number in mind of how many more additions he wants. "I think at this moment in time, we've not got enough to really go into a League One season and mount a serious challenge so we have to be better on that front, but obviously there are restrictions on budget, some people still have to probably leave the club for things to happen, and we’ll keep working to do that right until the end of the window, and only then will we know what the squad looks like and how prepared we are for, you know, a tough League One season ahead.” In terms of positions he is looking to strengthen, Caldwell insists he wants to add to the overall depth of his squad across the board. Subscribe now for HALF PRICE and catch every minute of our Latics coverage this season - from pre-season to the final whistle. Click here “We’re clear on the type of players we want, the profile of players that we want, we’re very clear on that,” he continued. “Like I said, we’re working on two or three at the moment, that if we get them in, then the squad will be much better, but that’s easier said than done, it takes a lot for it to land and to make it happen, so we will keep working towards that.” Latics open their competitive campaign on Saturday with a trip to Barnsley in the Carabao Cup first round.