Wigan Athletic set to complete transfer agreement for Man Utd striker | OneFootball

The Latics are set to complete the signing of a Red Devils forward

Wigan Athletic are set to complete the loan signing of striker Joe Hugill from Premier League giants Man United.

That's according to a report from The Manchester Evening News, who say that the 20-year-old is set to complete a move to the League One side imminently.

Hugill joined the Red Devils back in the summer of 2020, following a prolific spell at youth level for Sunderland.

The striker never made an appearance for the Black Cats, and is still waiting to make his competitive first-team debut for United.

He has however, had spells out on loan with non-leaue side Altrincham, and then Burton Albion in League One during the second-half of last season.

Now though, it seems as though Hugill is set for another stint in the third tier of English football, and United are poised to help out their Greater Manchester counterparts.

Man United striker Joe Hugill set for Wigan Athletic loan switch

As per this latest update, Hugill is closing in on a loan move to Wigan for the coming campaign.

After scoring in United's friendly win over Rangers in Edinburgh at the weekend, the striker was set to be part of United's squad for their pre-season tour.

However, the 20-year-old has now apparently withdrawn from the group, in order to complete his temporary move to the Latics.

As things stand, there are still two years remaining on Hugill's contract with Manchester United, which also includes an option for a further 12 months.

That ensures his future at Old Trafford is effectively secure until the end of the 2026/27 season, although it seems he will soon be a Wigan player for the time being.

If confirmed, Hugill could become the sixth senior signing of the summer transfer window for Shaun Maloney's side.

Dion Rankine, Will Aimson and Tyrese Francois have all already completed permanent moves to the club.

Meanwhile, Michael Olakigbe and Calvin Ramsay have joined on loan from Brentford and Liverpool respectively, with Maloney clearly a fan of using the loan market to swoop for top Premier League prospects.

Despite being deducted eight points for previous financial issues, Wigan finished last season 12th in the League One table, 14 points adrift of the play-offs, and 18 clear of the relegation zone.

The Latics are due to begin this season on Saturday 10th August, when they host Charlton Athletic at The Brick Community Stadium.

Joe Hugill is a gamble of a signing for Wigan Athletic

There is an argument that this is a deal that may cause some mixed feelings among those of a Wigan persuasion.

On the one hand, the club are short on centre-forward options right now, and so there is a need for extra depth in that key area of the pitch.

That is something that Hugill will offer them, with his record at youth level, and pedigree from his time with United, offering some encouragement.

Ultimately though, any striker's main job is to score goals, and in the end, Hugill struggled to do when he was playing for Burton at this level last season.

There may therefore, be some concerns about whether he can overcome that issue this time around for the Latics, since this deal may fall flat if he is unable to do that.

Indeed, if he is going to get the chance to progress in his career and play regularly at a higher level, that is something he will surely have to do.

With that in mind, there will no doubt be plenty of people keeping a close eye on exactly how Hugill fares during his time with Wigan.