Bolton Wanderers transfer interest in Preston North End man may seriously irritate Wigan Athletic | OneFootball

Bolton's transfer target Will Keane tore things up at The Brick Community Stadium, but he may be on the move to their fiercest rivals

Over time in football, there have been plenty of players who have played on either side of a fierce rivalry, and more often than not, it leads fans who once loved a player to turn to hate them instead.

Famous instances include Carlos Tevez for both Manchester United and City, Sol Campbell for Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, and Ashley Cole for Arsenal and Chelsea.

And, while Will Keane likely won't fit into that tier of infamy if he joins Bolton Wanderers from Preston North End this summer, the reports from Alan Nixon - which suggest that the Trotters are looking at the 32-year-old this summer - will no doubt be a cause for frustration eight miles down the road at Wigan Athletic's Brick Community Stadium.

The former Manchester United academy man was a bright spark in a period of uncertainty for the Latics, but moving to Steven Schumacher's side could turn the positive feelings sour really quickly.

Will Keane had a positive time at Wigan Athletic despite off-field issues

It's clear that Keane enjoyed his best years at The Brick Community Stadium.

His first two seasons saw him net 36 league goals in 76 League One games, proving that he was up to the standard of the Championship after failed spells at the likes of Hull City and Preston North End earlier in his career.

The 2021/22 campaign, especially, was the year he truly came into his own, as his 26 goals secured the Golden Boot en route to the Latics winning the third tier for the third time in seven seasons.

Wigan's financial insecurities in the following campaign overshadowed anything that happened on the pitch, but Keane still managed his first double-digit scoring season in the Championship, regardless, netting 12 in 43 appearances.

It was another season where they were deducted points, this time for failing to pay players and staff on time. Their three points deducted in the Championship didn't affect their basement finish, but the club would then begin 2023/24 in League One on minus eight.

Positives were on the horizon, though, as the summer of 2023 saw the club being taken over by local businessman Mike Danson. Despite this, the club's relegation was the final nail in the coffin for Keane, who decided that his future still lay in the Championship, and handed his notice into the club to leave after several months of late wage payments.

Wigan could accept Keane's Championship move, but will be frustrated if a League One return sends him to Bolton Wanderers

Keane was 30 years old upon Wigan's 2023 relegation to League One, and after a season where he proved himself a serviceable Championship frontman, it couldn't be held against him for wanting to continue to test himself in the second tier, despite his poor record for PNE in 2024/25.

And letting him go for a small fee helped the Latics bring in some much-needed funds as the club went through a period of transition.

13 goals in his first season at Preston helped prove that he could still handle it in the Championship, which Wigan fans would have appreciated seeing as one of their former players. But a down year in 2024/25, which saw him bag just three in 27 games, could see the 32-year-old return to League One - perhaps a more natural level where he'll get minutes.

Bolton seem interested, but if Keane is to stay in the Wigan fans' good graces, he'd be wise to pursue a move elsewhere - if that is possible.

Wiganers may have accepted his move away from the club a couple of years ago to continue playing in the Championship, but a move to their closest rivals could undo all of that.

If he does make the switch to The Toughsheet Community Stadium, it'll be interesting to hear the reception come January when he returns to the club he enjoyed his best goalscoring season at.