Wigan Athletic should push to sign Adam Reach and Accrington Stanley star as soon as next week | OneFootball

FLW take a look at two players Wigan Athletic could sign in the coming weeks.

Wigan Athletic have had a mediocre 2024-25 campaign so far but will be aiming upwards in the second half of the season.

With a number of clubs struggling at the bottom, the Latics have put some distance between themselves and 21st place with impressive away victories over the likes of Bolton Wanderers and Rotherham United.

However, supporters won't be satisfied with mere mid-table safety and will be aware that a strong January window could propel them into the upper echelons of the table.

With that in mind, Football League World have identified two individuals who could be targeted in the next week by Wigan Athletic.

Connor O'Brien

Wigan's defence has been superb this season, but there is always room for improvement and looking to the future by signing Accrington Stanley's Connor O'Brien would be a good start.

The 20-year-old has already been linked as a potential addition this window, by Alan Nixon via his Patreon account.

While Wigan may need to pay a significant fee, it would likely be a wise investment, as the right-wing back has already accumulated over 50 senior appearances at such a youthful age.

This season he has made 16 appearances for Stanley, with 14 of them coming as starts. Looking across his statistics, he is particularly adept at defending, while his attacking work could still do with some improvement.

In all likelihood, if he were to make a move to the Latics, he would not arrive as a starter. Instead, he could initially come in and learn from the likes of Toby Sibbick and Steven Sessegnon before staking his claim as the starting right-back in the future.

This would likely prove a useful move then, and for O'Brien, the step-up to League One football could enhance his game tenfold.

Adam Reach

While Wigan wouldn't need to use the January window to sign Adam Reach due to his free-agent status, he would still be an excellent acquisition in the coming weeks.

A player who has spent the predominance of his career in the Championship, the Englishman has a natural eye for a screamer and could bring some much-needed dynamism to the Latics' left-wing.

Presently, they have the options of Michael Olgakigbe and Silko Thomas, but neither have provided goal contributions on a regular basis. This is likely due to their youthful age and having an experienced player in the form of Reach ahead of them will only benefit their game.

The best seasons of his career came in 2017-18 and 2018-19, where he managed to provide 18 assists and score 12 goals in 88 league games.

In addition to his natural attacking threat, one area that would likely appease the Latics hierarchy is his versatility. During his career, he has featured in a range of different positions from striker to centre back and this would make his signature very appealing.

Released at the end of last season by West Bromwich Albion, the 31-year-old will likely be looking for a return to football and heading to the division below his usual level could spark him into life.