Man City, Chelsea & AC Milan eyeing surprise Wigan Athletic transfer raid | OneFootball

Manchester City, Chelsea, and AC Milan have all set their sights on a Wigan Athletic starlet

Manchester City, Chelsea, and AC Milan have all set their sights on one of Wigan Athletic's brightest young sparks ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Latics were at risk of suffering relegation from League One to League Two, but the return of boss Gary Caldwell, who had previously led them to the third-tier title in 2016, saved their season.

Caldwell returned to the Tics' dugout in February and steered the Brick Community Stadium outfit to wins over the likes of Northampton Town, Mansfield Town, and Rotherham United to ensure that they secured their League One status with three games to spare.

Wigan will have to bolster their squad in the summer transfer market to enjoy a more comfortable campaign next term, but they now appear at serious risk of losing one of their biggest talents.

Man City, Chelsea & AC Milan plot bargain deal for Wigan Athletic forward

Alongside Caldwell's managerial exploits, the Latics' season was defined by the goalscoring efforts of forward Joe Taylor, who scored 11 goals in 21 League One appearances for the Greater Manchester side while on loan from Huddersfield Town in the second half of the campaign.

Wigan are unlikely to sign the striker permanently, as Football League World exclusively revealed in March that Preston North End and Oxford United are interested in Taylor.

More surprisingly, Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke has reported via X that Man City, Chelsea, and AC Milan are in talks to sign young Latics forward Harrison Bettoni.

The Brick Community Stadium club's retained list, which was released in early May, revealed that Bettoni was in discussions with his current club over signing a new contract, with his deal set to expire this summer.

Man City, and AC Milan.

Bettoni burst onto the scene in November, when he scored a stunning free-kick with his first ever touch in League One, having been introduced as a substitute while Wigan were losing 1-0 to Wimbledon.

The 18-year-old went on to score a late winner for the North West outfit that afternoon, instantly becoming a fan favourite at the Brick Community Stadium.

Bettoni scored his third and final league goal of the season when Wigan beat Burton Albion 2-0 on 29 December, with the other goal coming from Dara Costelloe.

The forward also found himself on the scoresheet when the Latics beat local rivals Preston North End 1-0 in the FA Cup, which handed them a lucrative fourth-round trip to eventual Premier League winners Arsenal.

Intriguingly, Bettoni endured a lack of game time following Caldwell's arrival, but Wigan avoided the drop to League Two nonetheless.

Man City, Chelsea & AC Milan developments could give Wigan serious questions to answer

Wigan were only relegated from the Championship in 2023, but they have endured bottom-half finishes in the third tier in both of the last two seasons.

Understandably, following the financial hardship the Latics endured under their former ownership groups from Hong Kong and Bahrain, current owner Mike Danson has instilled an ethos of financial sustainability.

However, those aspirations have clearly hampered Wigan in the transfer market, as they have relied on many free agents and loan signings.

Given the Latics' goal to become more financially sustainable, the fact that Bettoni could join one of European football's giants for a mere compensation fee is not a good look for Danson.

The Greater Manchester outfit should have acted sooner to give the teenager a longer contract to avoid the scenario they are now facing.