Sunderland are looking to add some afterburners to their League One attack by chasing Wigan Athletic’s Will Grigg. However, the amount being offered is a particular sticking point.
The Sun’s Alan Nixon, commenting on Twitter (below), indicates that Sunderland’s offer is some distance away from what Wigan Athletic will even consider.
SUNDERLAND. Bid for Will Grigg is ‘up to’ £200,000. And that is not a misprint. WIGAN said no.
— Alan Nixon (@reluctantnicko) January 10, 2019
27-year-old, 13-cap Northern Ireland international Grigg cost Wigan around £1.3m when signing from Brentford in mid-July 2015. In 16 Championship games this season, the Soihull-born striker has scored four times and added one assist.
Whilst figures like that are hardly likely to light any fires, there’s little doubt that once Grigg is in the groove, he is on fire. In 149 games for the Latics, Grigg has hit the back of the net 65 times whilst also providing 14 assists for others.
That’s the kind of threat and potential that Sunderland are likely tracking. However, there’s tracking and there’s tracking and £200,000 is not nearly enough to have any hope of the Wearsiders landing the Northern Ireland international.
20th-placed Wigan face a home game next up against Aston Villa on Saturday. They are currently languishing in a part of the table that will require firepower such as can be provided by Grigg to escape from.
As such, it is more than understandable why the Latics are reluctant to sell him, and especially so for a feel that is so low.
