"£5m-£7m" - Price tag claim made on Wigan Athletic player "bound to move to the Championship" | OneFootball

FLW's Wigan Athletic fan pundit has given his view on how much goalkeeper Sam Tickle is worth.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

It has been an incredibly disappointing season so far for Wigan Athletic in League One.

Despite receiving an eight-point deduction, Wigan still managed to achieve a 12th-placed finish last term, which gave supporters plenty of hope that Shaun Maloney's side could kick on this campaign.

However, it has not worked out that way so far, and the Latics currently sit 16th in the table, just six points clear of the relegation zone, so it could be a tense end to the season for the Lancashire outfit.

While Wigan have underwhelmed this season, one player who has impressed is goalkeeper Sam Tickle.

After coming through the club's academy, Tickle enjoyed an outstanding breakthrough season last term as he kept 18 clean sheets in 52 games, which earned him the Player of the Year award, and his reputation has continued to grow this campaign.

After signing a new four-year contract at the Brick Community Stadium, Tickle reportedly turned down a move to Premier League giants Arsenal in the summer.

It was claimed in October that Tickle remains on the radar of the Gunners, as well as Manchester United, while Championship side Preston North End were said to be keen on the England Under-21 international in January, but a move did not materialise.

Wigan Athletic fan pundit makes Sam Tickle transfer prediction

When asked which player is the club's prized asset, FLW's Wigan Athletic fan pundit Corey Bissell said that Tickle would certainly fit that description, and with the goalkeeper looking likely to depart in the summer, he revealed that he is hoping the Latics can secure a fee of between £5 million and £7 million.

"It would be hard to say that our most prized asset isn't Sam Tickle," Corey said.

"In terms of a price tag, you're probably talking around roughly £5 million to £7 million.

"He has England Under-21 international appearances, and in my opinion, a lot of people would agree that he's the best goalkeeper in League One.

"His highlight reel speaks for itself.

"Admittedly, his distribution is lacking at times, but other than that, you're looking at a future top-end Championship goalkeeper at least.

"I look at him in a similar way as I looked at Michael Cooper when he was at Plymouth in League One, I think he's just head and shoulders above the rest.

"He's bound to move to the Championship, and hopefully for as much money as we can get for him."

It is difficult to disagree with Corey that Tickle is Wigan's prized asset, but they will surely face a battle to keep hold of him in the summer.

For the Latics to have any chance of retaining Tickle, they would need to win promotion from League One, but with Maloney's men currently sitting closer to the relegation zone than the play-off places, there is no chance of that happening this season.

Tickle has been linked with a number of Premier League and Championship clubs in recent months, and there will inevitably be further interest in the summer, so Wigan should concentrate on securing the highest possible fee for their talented young goalkeeper.