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Week One of the January Transfer Window

A good start to the window for Latics, we managed to bag our two top targets early on. Now we are looking to sign one possibly two more players, with one of those being a goalkeeper. So who are we being linked with? And where is the mention of players leaving?

Stu Forster

So far the doors of the DW Stadium have been thrown open for the signings of two players Roger Espinoza and Angelo Henriquez both of whom the fans are very excited about. Roger comes to the club after four fantastic seasons with Kansas City in the MLS. He will be looking to replicate previous Hondurans who have been at the club.

Sadly he didn't feature against Bournemouth, which was a shame. I think many of us expected him to start, for Roberto Martinez to give him the first half. Bed him into the English game (and the weather for that matter) and just let him ease into it before going into a Premier League. Unfortunately that was not the case, and we will have to wait for Rogers first appearance.

We did get to see how new 18 year old striker who is on loan to the end of the season. The Chilean striker Angelo Henriquez came on at half time and changed the game. He is a player you can tell is full of potential and you can see why Manchester United forked out their cash for him. Quick feet and intellectual, not many felt he would have an impact on our survival, but this kid is something special. Only the bar stopped him from scoring yesterday, and hopefully he will be bale to bag a few goals for us this season.

So who else? Well there is big talk of another goalkeeper. It looks like we will dip into the Spanish market, as with whom we don't know. Two names have cropped up, one is 22 year old Joel, who is third choice keeper at Atletico Madrid. According to the Spanish media he has been on trial at the club and will sign on loan next week. True? Well only time will tell.

The other goalkeeper, is 30 year old Rayo Vallecano shot stopper David Cobeno. This one hasn't been as heavily reported. Yet it was only picked up a day ago. I am more incline to believe the above link. Martinez will be looking for a back up to Ali Al Habsi, who could possibly be bought in as a replacement.

That is all for players coming in. So what about players going out? Well only one player has been linked with a move away, and that is Latics man of the season so far James McCarthy. The past couple of season James hasn't been at his best. Since his first full season at the club he hasn't shined as bright. Yet this season he has ran our midfielder.

It now looks like teams are picking up on this. According to the papers Arsenal are looking at James and are willing to pay £8 million. That is laughable and if I was Whelan and someone offered me that for him, well I would laugh in their face. To get James it has to be at least £15 million before we even think of selling him, and I am not just being biased. McCarthy is up alongside the likes of Valencia and Palacios in the amount of money we should be asking for the player, especially with two years still on his contract.

Edit: Since this post a new link has appeared. Barnsley full-back John Stones could be a Wigan player, the 18 year old defender has been linked with a host of big clubs, yet reports now suggest Roberto Martinez now wants to sign the defender. The rumours true? Well I have heard it before, Stones is the kind of player Martinez would go for, and that is possibly why we are being linked with him. Would be a good signing, and one to watch.