Man Utd join Arsenal in transfer race to sign talented EFL star | OneFootball

Premier League interest in the League One goalkeeper is growing

Manchester United have joined Arsenal in taking an interest in Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Sam Tickle.

That's according to a report from TeamTalk, who say the Red Devils are keen to bring in a young 'keeper as cover and competition for Andre Onana.

Tickle came through the academy ranks at Wigan, and emerged as their first choice between the posts last season.

Some excellent performances from the 22-year-old helped them to a 12th place finish in League One, despite an eight-point deduction, after relegation from the Championship the season before.

As a result, the goalkeeper has attracted plenty of interest from elsewhere, with it being reported that he turned down a move to Arsenal in the summer, in order to remain with the Latics.

Now though, it seems as though the Gunners could face more competition for the Wigan man, as they continue to monitor his progress.

Manchester United enter Sam Tickle transfer mix

Tickle has continued to impress for Wigan, and is currently on a run of six consecutive clean sheets for the club.

Consequently, it seems as though interest in his services will not be going away anytime soon, as the January transfer window gradually draws closer.

As per this latest update, both Manchester United and Arsenal are tracking the 22-year-old's perfomances, as they consider potential moves at the turn of the year.

It is thought that the potential and age of Tickle are appealing factors for both clubs, as is the fact that he would add to their number of home-grown players.

For their part, Wigan are said to be aware of the fact that clubs are watching their goalkeeper, and are preparing for offers to be made for him when the transfer market reopens.

There are still around four years remaining on Tickle's current contract, securing his future with the Latics until the end of the 2027/28 season.

As a result, the League One club will be in a strong position to respond to any offers that come in for the goalkeeper during the January transfer window.

With 13 points from ten league games so far, Wigan currently occupy 15th place in the third-tier standings.

They are next in action after the international break on Saturday 19th October, when they make the trip to the Abbey Stadium to face Cambridge United.

Interest in Wigan goalkeeper is not surprising

It should be no huge shock to see that clubs at the very top of the English football pyramid are starting to take an interest in Tickle.

His performances at Wigan have already shown just how good a goalkeeper he is, and at 22-years-old, he still has plenty of time to improve with more experience.

As a result, any club that are able to sign him now would be getting a major long-term asset, and could potentially be saving themselves a big transfer fee in the future.

However, given it was suggested he turned down a move to Arsenal in the summer as he did not want to be third-choice, he could be reluctant to play back-up at Manchester United as well.

With that in mind, it could be a challenge for the Red Devils to convince him to make the move to Old Trafford come January.

Even so, if Tickle continues to impress as he has done, this speculation will surely continue, and the opportunities to move to that level as a starter are also likely to increase.

That in turn, will surely only add to the task that Wigan