Wigan Athletic urged to strike summer deal with Coventry City - Sky Blues "wouldn't really need the money" | OneFootball

FLW's Wigan Athletic fan pundit has given his verdict on whether the club could sign Coventry City loanee Raphael Borges Rodrigues permanently.

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 for Wigan Athletic in League One.

After a busy summer of transfer activity, Wigan began the season with hopes of mounting a promotion push under then manager Ryan Lowe, and they were among the early front-runners.

However, the Latics have been dragged into the relegation battle after a significant decline in form over the winter period, and Lowe was sacked earlier this month after a seven-game winless run that saw the Lancashire outfit drop into the bottom four.

As they continue their search for Lowe's replacement, Wigan currently sit 22nd in the table, two points from safety, and Coventry City loanee Raphael Borges Rodrigues is one player they will be looking to over the coming months to help them avoid the drop.

Rodrigues made four appearances for the Sky Blues in the opening weeks of the season, including two substitute appearances in the Championship, before making the temporary switch to the Brick Community Stadium on the final day of the summer transfer window.

The 22-year-old has scored one goal in 27 appearances for the Latics so far this season, with 20 of those coming from the start, but he was often deployed in an unfamiliar wing-back role by Lowe in his preferred back three system.

Wigan Athletic backed to strike summer transfer deal for Coventry City loanee Raphael Borges Rodrigues

When asked if the club could sign Rodrigues permanently this summer, FLW's Wigan Athletic fan pundit Corey Bissell insisted he would like to see the winger return on a full-time basis, but he admitted the deal could depend on whether Coventry achieve promotion to the Premier League.

"I think Raphael could definitely shine if a manager who plays wingers is brought in," Corey told FLW.

"I don't know if there's scope for a permanent move, I think that depends on Coventry.

"If they are promoted to the Premier League, they will probably be more inclined to let him leave on a permanent basis because they wouldn't really need the money.

"If they weren't promoted, I could see him being loaned out again and then cashed in on after a second loan.

"I like him, I think he's a decent player.

"He's gone off the boil a bit lately, but so has most of our squad to be honest.

"He had a really nice spell around the Christmas period or just before that where he was probably our best performer during that time.

"He's a raw talent, but there's definitely talent in there.

"I'd happily take him on a permanent, especially if we bring in a manager who lets him play in his more natural position and just lets him attack, rather than having to come back and defend.

"But to his credit, I will say he is very dogged in defending, he does seem to enjoy it, so fair play to him."

Frank Lampard, Coventry City comments could hint at Wigan Athletic transfer disappointment

Rodrigues was largely overlooked by Lampard last season after he took over at Coventry, but he did feature for his parent club in the early stages of the current campaign before being loaned out to Wigan.

Speaking in December, Lampard claimed that he was "very happy" with how Rodrigues' spell with the Latics was going, and he insisted that he was "not so concerned" about him playing out of position at wing-back.

While it will be tough for Rodrigues to force his way into the Sky Blues' squad once he returns to the CBS Arena, it is clear that Lampard is keeping a close eye on his progress in Lancashire, and he may decide to give him an opportunity next season, which would be a big blow to Wigan's hopes of signing him permanently.