Exclusive: Wigan Athletic eyeing Oxford United forward | OneFootball

Wigan Athletic are keen on landing Oxford United's Will Goodwin on loan until the end of the season, Football League World can exclusively reveal

Wigan Athletic are interested in striking a loan deal for Oxford United forward Will Goodwin, sources have exclusively informed Football League World.

The Latics are 16th in League One under Shaun Maloney, who intends on bolstering his squad this month and is accordingly eyeing up a switch for 22-year-old Goodwin.

The striker is currently in the Championship with Oxford but could be allowed to leave for Wigan, with game time proving extremely difficult to come by this term.

Wigan Athletic eyeing Oxford United's Will Goodwin

On Friday morning, Football League World broke the news that Wigan had agreed a deal to sell young striker Josh Stones to York City, for a fee that has been separately reported as being worth in the region of £350,000 in a ground-breaking agreement by National League standards.

Now, Football League World can exclusively reveal Wigan are in the market for a new striker and have set their sights on a loan move for Goodwin.

The ex-Stoke City man has barely had a look in at the Kassam Stadium this term. He played a small role in their promotion from League One after joining from Cheltenham Town last January, but has played just 20 minutes across three Championship matches - though the start of the campaign was missed through an ankle injury.

Goodwin is Oxford's third-choice striker behind Mark Harris and Dane Scarlett, and he's yet to feature in any of Gary Rowett's first three matchday squads after taking over from Des Buckingham in December.

Oxford United's Will Goodwin could be a decent signing for Wigan Athletic

It hasn't really worked out for him in Oxfordshire thus far, but Goodwin could prove to be a strong capture for Wigan - should they pull off the deal.

He showed his class in League One last season by scoring six goals from 16 games in a struggling Cheltenham Town side, which prompted Oxford into a move.

Goodwin needs to be out playing regular football and Wigan must sign a striker this month.

They're currently averaging just 1.0 goals per match - one of the worst returns in League One - and have next to no goalscoring threat at the minute behind attacking duo Thelo Aasgard and Nottingham Forest loanee Dale Taylor, who has still scored just five this term.