Wigan Chairman Lays £10m Price Tag On Charles N'Zogbia

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has said that the club will not let go of star winger Charles N’Zogbia for a penny less than 10 million pounds. He warned Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish that biding his time over this deal might prove counter-productive, as N’Zogbia had no dearth of suitors willing to meet the asking price.

Whelan strict over N'Zogbia fee

Aston Villa recently sold two of their highly rated wide players Ashley Young and Stewart Downing to Manchester United and Liverpool respectively. They are looking to recoup some of that talent in the form off Wigan player N’Zogbia. McLeish had previously bid for the player when he was in charge of Birmingham City and Whelan had accepted his 9 million pound then.

But the Chairman says that the market has changed and he won’t sell for any prove less that the stipulated 10 million pounds. Speaking to Goal.com, Whelan said that N’Zogbia was unquestionably the best wide player in the Premier League and even the 10 million pound transfer would represent a coup if Villa brought him.

He said-

“Aston Villa are still offering £9m and I want £10m. They offered nine, and I said ‘no thanks, you will have to make it 10 and then you can talk to him’. Other clubs are interested so there is no way I will be going down to nine million.

“We said £10m and I am not going to let him go for a penny less. They have got £20m for Downing and they would be stealing N’Zogbia for 10 million. Stealing him. He is the best wide player in the Premier League without question so I can’t understand what they are doing.”

Whelan said that last time’s acceptance of 9 million pounds was owing to the lateness in the transfer window, but N’Zogbia has far more time and far more suitors this summer. Everton, Sunderland and Newcastle have been linked with the player, who is on the last year of his contract.

“Last year we accepted £9m from Birmingham when Alex McLeish was their manager very late on in the summer transfer window and he thinks he is going to do the same again this time around, but he isn’t.”

He stressed that the only thing Wigan were looking at were concrete bids put in for the player, and he admitted that not many had come in yet. He also said he preferred that N’Zogbia should stay on with The Latics, but he sounded pessimistic regarding the same.

“Lots of clubs will be interested but all I look at is who is offering money and who has put a bid in. Sunderland as yet have not put a bid in. I do not know whether Newcastle are interested or not because they have not put an offer in.

“I would like to extend his contract so he would stay at Wigan because I rate him so highly but I don’t think he will stay. However, we will have to wait and see.”

It remains to be seen whether N’Zogbia makes the switch to a new club this summer or is left to be Wigan’s potential saviour yet again next season. Stay tuned for more in this regard.

Edited by Staff Editor