Wigan Athletic: Josh Magennis, Charlie Wyke replacement could be waiting in League Two: View | OneFootball

Wigan Athletic's retained list revealed the exit of the club's 2023/24 League One top goalscorer, Stephen Humphrys, as well as the departures of senior strikers Charlie Wyke and Josh Magennis.

While Latics have already done some solid business this summer, such as signing winger Michael Olakigbe and full-back Calvin Ramsay on loan from Brentford and Liverpool respectively, their finest moment of the close-season so far was handing a long-term contract to in-demand goalkeeper Sam Tickle.

Retaining the services of experienced central defender Jason Kerr is also good news for the Greater Manchester side, but the Brick Community Stadium faithful will want to see their club sign a new striker as a matter of urgency following the exits of both Wyke and Magennis.

Wyke and Magennis replacement could be League Two ace

Despite the fact that both experienced forwards have left Latics, Shaun Maloney and co may only have to sign one forward this summer due to the presence of youth academy products Chris Sze and Josh Stones.

Meanwhile, Newport County's Will Evans could be a perfect addition as Latics look to build on a solid 2023/24 season, and launch a 2024/25 play-off push.

Evans joined the Exiles ahead of the 2022/23 season from Welsh Premier League outfit Bala Town, and during his second season in the English game he discovered his deadly goalscoring touch.

Last season, the 26-year-old was the fifth-highest scorer in League Two as he scored 21 goals in 46 appearances, despite the fact that the Exiles finished in a lowly 18th.

Evans also demonstrated his ability to perform against high-level opponents, as he scored during a dramatic 4-2 home defeat to eventual FA Cup champions Manchester United in the fourth round.

His strike against the Red Devils was part of a notable purple patch in which the ace scored in five consecutive games across all competitions, a run in which he also scored six in seven.

In the space of just two seasons, Evans has adjusted from the Welsh Premier League to the English Football League and has scored his career best season tally of 25 goals in all competitions.

This could suggest that the forward is ready to make the step up from League Two to League One, while Latics could be beneficiaries of his goalscoring services.

Latics should look to buy players this summer

Wigan owner Mike Danson has supported Maloney well this window so far, by permitting the loan signings of Olakigbe and Ramsay, while a long-term deal for Tickle is something which the club will eventually reap the financial rewards of amid interest from Premier League outfit Everton.

But now that Latics are no longer under a transfer embargo which they were subject to for the last two windows, the club should look to bring in new players on a permanent basis, given that squad numbers are still thin compared to that of their League One opponents.

The purchase of Evans would be a very savvy one, as he is a player who Maloney could introduce to the third tier, and mould him into his playing style.

It could be argued that due to his profile, Evans is better suited to Latics' style of play than that of Wyke and Magennis, who were arguably somewhat out of place as target men in a team who play out from the back.