Both Wigan and Preston are keen to sign Yanic Wildschut in January, according to Gazette Live.
The winger is currently on loan at Wigan from Middlesbrough and the Latics are eager to extend his current loan deal at the club until the end of the season and plan to try and do this in January.
However, it won’t be easy, with his performances catching the eye of Preston who are considering making a bid to sign him permanently in the winter transfer window.
Preston currently have a number of wingers at the club but it remains an area where they are rather weak – Adam Reach is only on loan, Kyel Reid has been shipped out to Bradford, Chris Humphrey is currently out injured and Paul Gallagher and Daniel Johnson can play on the wing but they are both better suited to a central role. Wildschut could be a solution to that problem.
Before any move though, current Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka wants to speak with the 24-year old in January, to help him decide what to do next. He could very well make a return to Middlesbrough and fight for a place in the team at the Riverside if he has made an impression on club officials during his time out on loan.
But, if he hasn’t, then he isn’t short of other options – he could stay on loan at the DW or even make the move to Deepdale on a permanent basis.
The Netherlands man has made 14 appearances for the Latics so far this year, scoring four times and impressing many along the way. He’s already bettered his number of goals from the 2014/15 season and in less games and the signs are that he is continuing to get better.
Wigan boss Gary Caldwell had this to say about the winger: “We’ve been in touch (with Boro), but it’s nothing really to do with me now. I’ve stated I want to keep him here, and the club is dealing with that.
“My job is to try to improve Yanic as a footballer. We want to keep him here and develop his game even more.”
Who will end up with the signature of Wildschut then come January? Will Wigan be able to tie him up until the end of the year or will the lure of a place in a Championship side with Preston be too much for the winger to resist? Could he even end up playing back at parent club Middlesbrough? All will be revealed come the winter transfer window!
