Why Wigan Athletic should re-sign Callum McManaman from Sunderland
Wigan Athletic are hoping to bring Callum McManaman back to the club this summer, according to reports. Paul Cook is looking to strengthen his squad upon their return to the Championship and the winger seems like a decent option. Here’s why.
He knows the DW reality
Having come through the youth ranks at Wigan, he joined the first-team in 2009. His breakthrough came in 2012/13, when the Latics won the FA Cup after a 1-0 triumph over Manchester City. McManaman played the whole 90 minutes in the final. Overall, he’s made 109 appearances for the club, scoring 17 goals.

The Sunderland disaster
McManaman signed for Sunderland in 2017, with everyone hoping the Black Cats would get promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Unfortunately, the opposite occurred. It was a disastrous year for the Wearside club as they suffered another relegation. During last season, McManaman scored one goal in 24 matches. He also provided two assists.
Now Sunderland need to reduce their wage bill and with McManaman being one of the top earners in the club, they might want to offload him. And he’ll surely want to leave, as he may not want to play in the third tier.
Championship experience
The winger will be a useful signing for Wigan, as he’s vastly experienced in the Championship. With 102 games, 11 goals and 8 assists, he could prove invaluable for the Latics in their return to the division. Of course, he’s also played in the Premier League. His tally there is 46 appearances, 2 goals and 5 assists.

Paul Cook wants him
To be fair, the Latics gaffer was kind of mysterious when asked about McManaman. However, if you read between the lines, it’s clear there’s some interest. Cook said:
“Our fans will appreciate we want to make them happy, and make signings that are going to excite us all. We’re after all good players. Can we get them over the line? That remains to be seen. But we’ll certainly be doing our best to make our fans happy.”
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The verdict
McManaman enjoyed the best spell of his career so far, at the DW Stadium, so he’ll surely want to come back. Wigan have Kal Naismith and Gavin Massey as right-wing options but McManaman will bring more depth and class. If the Latics can afford him, they should sign him!