Chapter 615: A Shortlist!

When that matter entered the conversation, it drew a slightly different reaction.

Fletcher had his uses, but his place in the squad was less secure than earlier in the season.

If the German club were prepared to make a suitable offer, Wigan would at least have to consider it.

"Have they submitted anything formal?" Dawson asked.

"Not yet. They’ve only made an initial enquiry."

"Then let’s see whether they intend to follow it up."

As he said that, the staff member hesitated before continuing.

"There was one more enquiry this morning."

At that, Dawson looked up.

"Who?"

"Chelsea."

The room quietened as Dawson waited for the rest.

"They’ve asked about Jake. The figure mentioned was twenty-five million pounds."

For a moment, Dawson said nothing.

He looked down at the table, then towards the laptop, as though he expected the information to change if he read it again.

Jake had become an important part of Wigan’s attack, offering a physical presence and a willingness to run beyond defenders that gave the team another dimension.

His contributions had not gone unnoticed, and Chelsea were hardly the first club to recognise his potential.

But for a team like Wigan, twenty-five million pounds was a substantial offer for a player who had only recently established himself in the Premier League.

Dawson leaned back and exhaled through his nose.

"So it’s started."

When he said that, nobody needed to ask what he meant.

Wigan’s success had drawn attention, and attention brought clubs looking for players they believed they could develop, improve, or simply take from a smaller team before their value climbed further.

It was part of football, particularly when a club with Wigan’s resources found itself competing above expectations.

Still, there was a difference between receiving enquiries and having to consider losing players who had helped build the team.

Dawson leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.

"We’re not accepting Chelsea’s offer. Not at this stage. If they truly want him, he has a 60 million pound release clause. Let them trigger it."

One of the staff members nodded and began making a note.

"Tell them we’re not looking to sell Jake. If they want to come back with something else, they can, but we’re under no obligation to entertain an offer simply because they’ve decided they want him."

He paused, then turned back to the other reports.

"Adeeko and Fletcher are different. We need to listen to them and find out what they want. If Adeeko believes he has a better chance of developing elsewhere, we shouldn’t keep him here just to sit on our bench. The same applies to Fletcher, provided the offer makes sense for us."

Dawson glanced around the table.

"But if either of them leaves, we need to know what we’re replacing. I don’t want us to solve one problem by creating another."

He reached for the recruitment notes and turned to a clean page.

"Let’s also look at players with top-flight experience who might be available this month. Not necessarily big names. I want people who understand the demands of this league and can come in without needing half a season to adjust."

He tapped his pen against the paper.

"And we need energy. Players who can maintain the intensity we’re asking for, especially when the schedule gets busy. We’re going to need everyone if we’re serious about staying where we are."

The staff began discussing names again, this time with a clearer idea of what Dawson wanted.

They would need to balance the manager’s tactical requirements against the funds available, the wages they could offer and the likelihood of convincing suitable players to join a club that, only a year earlier, had been preparing for life in the lower tiers of the English footballing hierarchy.

Wigan were approaching the January window with something more than survival in mind.

They were a club with a dream. A dream that, with the right nurturing and circumstances, could very well become a gripping reality that many eyes would, and clubs would, rather not see in their league.

They had a position worth protecting, a squad worth strengthening and several clubs already looking at the players who had brought them there.

Dawson intended to ensure that, whatever happened over the coming weeks, Wigan would be ready for the second half of the season.

....

Over the next few days, Wigan’s player recruitment team began working overtime.

Dawson had left them with a clear brief.

They were to explore the market for experienced players who could contribute immediately, particularly on the left wing, while identifying younger options who might strengthen the squad beyond the current campaign.

The club had little appetite for expensive gambles and no intention of bringing in players merely to make a statement.

Every potential signing had to serve a purpose.

While the recruitment team worked through their contacts, assessed availability, and weighed the financial demands of various deals, Dawson focused on the FA Cup.

By the evening before the match, he had finished reviewing the squad’s preparations and returned to his office to find the shortlist waiting on his desk.

He sat down, loosened his tie and pulled the pages towards him.

The list contained several names, accompanied by brief assessments of their current situations, likely costs and the roles they could fill at Wigan.

Some were realistic possibilities; others would require convincing their clubs to negotiate, while a few were included as alternatives in case the preferred targets proved unavailable.

Dawson read through the pages carefully, pausing occasionally to consider a name before moving on.

He had no intention of making a decision that night, but the staff had done enough to give him a clearer picture of what January might offer.

When he reached the final page, he leaned back in his chair and nodded.

"This might do."

After that, he gathered the papers, squared their edges against the desk and tucked the shortlist beneath the folder beside his laptop.

Dawson switched off the desk lamp, grabbed his coat, and left the office, ready to call it a day before Wigan’s next test.