Wigan Athletic are reportedly closing in on the signing of Brighton youngster Caylan Vickers.
The versatile forward spent the first half of the season out on loan with Barnsley, but he struggled for regular minutes at Oakwell Stadium.
Vickers made 22 appearances in all competitions for the Tykes, scoring twice and registering four assists, but he fell out of favour under manager Conor Hourihane in recent weeks, leading to his game time fizzling out.
Brighton, therefore, decided to recall the 21-year-old from Barnsley, but a return to League One is now edging closer.
Football Insider report that Wigan have reached an agreement with the Seagulls to sign Vickers on a permanent deal, with the move now accelerating. Brighton don’t see a ‘long-term future’ for the playmaker at the club.
The former Reading youngster is therefore said to be set to undergo his medical with the Latics imminently, with all parties hoping to complete the deal before the 7pm deadline.
Vickers will be keen to hit the ground running at The Brick Community Stadium, with Wigan currently sitting in 19th place in the table and only outside of the bottom four on goal difference.
Manager Ryan Lowe is therefore starting to feel the heat in the dugout, and he will be hoping that his new recruits can steer the club to safety as soon as possible.
Vickers had been tipped for a big future after breaking through the Reading ranks as a teenager, and his development at that stage in his career saw him attract interest from Europe’s elite.
In 2023, The Sun reported that Real Madrid and Arsenal were both keen on the forward and willing to pay in the region of £1million to secure his services. Vickers had only made nine senior appearances at that time.
Brighton soon swooped to sign the ex-Mansfield loanee though, reaching an agreement with the Royals for an undisclosed fee.