Wigan Athletic win race for Walsall star Connor Barrett

Wigan Athletic are set to beat competitors from EFL rivals to land the signing of highly-rated Walsall defender Connor Barrett this summer time.

Switch specialist Pete O’Rourke experiences that the wing-back has agreed a cope with the WAFC, which can see him swap League Two for League One subsequent time period.

Barrett has discovered himself on the centre of switch hypothesis during the last 12 months, having impressed ever since becoming a member of Walsall in 2024. Charlton Athletic and Stockport County have been amongst his admirers final summer time, however a transfer to the Latics is now on the playing cards.

Wigan Athletic land Connor Barrett after earlier widespread curiosity

Barrett got here by means of the youth ranks at Leicester Metropolis and Burnley earlier than making the transfer to Kettering City in 2021 to start his senior profession.

The 24-year-old moved to AFC Fylde the 12 months after and helped the Lancashire aspect to promotion from the Nationwide League South.

The proper-back made the transfer to Walsall two years later as a free agent, having rejected a brand new contract supplied to him by Fylde. Barrett was hailed as an ‘thrilling younger participant’ by former Saddlers supervisor Mat Sadler.

The defender has lived as much as that fame, being named within the EFL League Two Workforce of the Season after his first marketing campaign in 2024/25. Barrett’s performances in that 12 months had sparked a summer time of switch rumours 12 months in the past.

On prime of previous hyperlinks with Charlton Athletic, Stockport County and Peterborough United, Portsmouth had additionally been touted as potential suitors for the full-back with John Mousinho watching the participant.

With two years left on his contract, Barrett opted to remain at Walsall and made 33 fourth tier appearances final season. The defender contributed three targets and three assists.

Connor Barrett’s 2025/26 League Two stats:

Connor Barrett on the transfer after Walsall XI omission

Barrett had struggled for minutes over the again finish of the marketing campaign, beginning simply two league matches since early February. Previous boss Sadler had confirmed that was not as a consequence of an damage however didn’t increase on any potential fallout behind the scenes.

Walsall have Rico Browne – ought to he signal an extension – and Elicha Ahui who can play at left-back. Given him being frozen out of the aspect and having simply 12 months left on his deal, a departure for Barrett had felt inevitable.

An attacking left-back, Barrett prefers to play in a wing-back function and is able to pushing into midfield, providing Wigan Athletic boss Gary Caldwell versatility for the upcoming marketing campaign.

Incoming Walsall boss Lee Grant is understood to choose a 4-2-3-1 set-up, which might have resulted in a continued battle for recreation time for Barrett. The defender could possibly be a pure slot in Caldwell’s system at WAFC, with Fraser Murray on the left and Barrett on the best.

The 27-year-old Scotsman held down the function on the left flank ever since Caldwell was appointed in February. Solely two gamers created extra probabilities than Murray’s 55 in League Two final time period, so the Latics might have a harmful wing-back pairing on their fingers.