Wigan Athletic will hope November snub can ease Man Utd and Arsenal transfer pressure | OneFootball

Wigan Athletic will hope that Sam Tickle's omission from the England Under-21 squad can help ease transfer interest from Manchester United and Arsenal

Wigan Athletic's League One form heading into the November international break is far from satisfactory, as the Latics have not won in the third tier since a 3-0 victory over Peterborough United on 1st October.

The Latics' big win over the Posh last month arrived as part of an impressive run in which Shaun Maloney's men enjoyed seven consecutive clean sheets in all competitions, with six of those shut-outs coming in League One.

But since then, the Greater Manchester side have won just one of their last five games, which came in the form of a 2-0 triumph over League Two Carlisle United in the FA Cup first round, and even then Maloney's side did require extra time to get the job done at Brunton Park against inferior opposition.

The majority of the Latics squad will look to utilise the international break as an opportunity to put in the hard yards on the training ground in an effort to address their poor league form.

Meanwhile, the likes of Dale Taylor and Thelo Aasgaard, who represent the Northern Ireland Under-21s, and Norway Under-21s respectively, will be in action for their nations over the course of the next week.

Latics goalkeeper Sam Tickle has also become used to international call-ups since keeping a clean sheet on debut for the England Under-21s last season, but did not receive a call-up this time around.

Tickle's England Under-21 snub will ease Latics transfer pressure amid Manchester United and Arsenal interest

While the talented shot-stopper has not received an international call-up for November, there is no doubting his impressive ability between the sticks.

He was instrumental towards the Latics' previously mentioned run of six consecutive clean sheets in League One earlier this term, and produced a stunning save to keep his side in the lead during their recent FA Cup win at Carlisle.

Following Tickle's exploits at Brunton Park, Maloney said: "Sam has made two unbelievable saves at the end, and he's just an unbelievable talent.

"And I still don't think people realise how good this guy is.

"If there is a shot to be saved and my job depends on it, or my life depends on it, there isn't another English goalkeeper in all four leagues I'd choose over him."

But contrary to Maloney's comments when heaping heavy praise on his goalkeeper, Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal are seemingly very aware of the 22-year-old's abilities between the sticks, as they are both tracking his progress, according to TeamTalk.

However, Tickle's recent omission from the England Under-21 squad will mean that the youngster will not have another chance to display his ability on the international stage ahead of the January transfer window, which could be enough to stave off interest for now.

There is no doubt that the Latics will have to eventually sell their academy graduate due to the increasingly high profile interest in his services, but the fact that he is not in the Young Lions team this month could give the Greater Manchester club the transfer respite they need.

Amid a potential relegation battle, the Tics simply have to retain their star man come January, as he has kept an impressive total of seven clean sheets in 14 League One outings.

Maloney was surprised at Tickle's England snub

After the Young Lions chose to leave Tickle out of their squad on this occasion, the Latics boss told Wigan Today: "I was really surprised, I have to say.

"I've been on the other side, when you're involved with an international team, and you have to make decisions that will leave some club managers happy and some unhappy.

"Honestly, I don't know the reasons, I've had absolutely no feedback from the manager or goalkeeping coach.

"But this game is about opinions, and my opinion, and I'm sure time will back me up, is that this guy is going to be a top, top goalkeeper.

"It's a privilege to have him at this club."

But while Maloney is surprised by England's decision not to include Tickle in their Under-21 squad this time around, it could be a blessing in disguise for the Tics, who could do without being forced into a sale this January.