Wigan Athletic forward Yanic Wildschut hands in transfer request
Monday 30 January 2017 22:37, UK
Wigan forward Yanic Wildschut has handed in a transfer request, a move the club has described as "extremely disappointing".
The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to fellow Sky Bet Championship sides Derby and Norwich, both of whom are believed to have had £4m bids turned down during the January transfer window.
Derby are back in negotiations for Wildschut, Sky sources understand, although they may struggle to meet the Latics' price tag of around £6m, and the Championship strugglers issued a statement on Monday night regarding the player's decision.
"We made a significant commitment in signing Yanic this time last year and he has clearly thrived at our club and we feel this action from him now is inappropriate and very disappointing at such a crucial point of the season," Wigan chairman David Sharpe told the club's official website.
"This is not the way to repay the faith we have shown in him. I've always had a good relationship with Yanic and I feel he has let the club, his team mates and our supporters down by taking this action.
"Yanic is a very important player to us and we do not have a desire to sell our best players.
"That said, every player has a value and we will not be put under pressure to sell a player for less than our valuation."
The 25-year-old joined Wigan on loan from Middlesbrough in October 2015 before making the deal permanent the following January and he has scored 14 times in 65 appearances for the Latics.
Wildschut's most recent game for Warren Joyce's side came in the 4-0 FA Cup fourth round defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
