Rotherham United join transfer tussle for Wigan Athletic’

Rotherham are reportedly targeting Wigan Athletic attacker Callum Lang, but are set to face competition from League One sides Derby and Portsmouth.

According to Darren Witcoop of X, former Wigan Athletic boss Leam Richardson wants to recruit Lang to the New York Stadium to enhance his offensive force.

Richardson’s Millers are at the bottom of the Championship, eight points from safety, and have struggled offensively, scoring only 24 goals in 27 league games.

His side also has the division’s second-worst defence, conceding 51 goals, trailing only Blackburn Rovers.

Rotherham United are one of several clubs interested in signing Lang, including League One leaders Portsmouth and promotion contenders Derby County.

Callum Lang’s attacking threat

Callum Lang has been an important player for Wigan since breaking into the first team. He has made 143 appearances for the Latics, scoring 31 goals and supplying 18 assists.

The 25-year-old is mostly a right winger for Wigan, but he has also played as a centre forward and second striker.

The Englishman has endured a quiet season for struggling Wigan thus far in 2023/24. Despite playing 23 games in League One, he has only scored twice and supplied two assists.

Lang’s most successful season with Wigan was in 2021/22, when he scored 15 goals and provided seven assists as his team finished first in League One, scoring 82 goals in total.

Rotherham’s struggling strikers

Rotherham’s position at the base of the Championship has not been helped by their poor attacking output. They have scored the third fewest goals in the division, with only fellow strugglers QPR and Sheffield Wednesday scoring less.

South Yorkshire has struggled to create and score goals this season.

The Millers’ best scorers, Hakeem Odoffin and Jordan Hugill, have only three goals each, and their joint second-highest scorer, Fred Onyadinma, has returned to Luton following a loan spell that saw him score twice.

The loss of Onyadinma also causes challenges in terms of developing opportunities. The winger contributed two assists for Leam Richardson’s team, trailing only Cafu, who had three.

Lang would fit well in with Rotherham and provide a unique attacking option, scoring goals from out wide.

Callum Lang’s future

With Wigan floundering in League One this season and Callum Lang’s contract expiring in the summer of 2025, the club may decide to cash in on the attacker to avoid losing him on a free transfer next season.

Wigan are unlikely to play in the Championship anytime soon, thus Lang’s best choice for the future may be to quit the Latics.

A transfer to Rotherham would provide him with Championship experience sooner rather than later. However, it does not appear that Leam Richardson’s team will be able to stay in the division for very long.

Richardson would undoubtedly welcome the chance to have Lang play for him again, and the signing of the Englishman would put them in a far stronger position for instant promotion back to the Championship if the Millers are relegated this season.

Wigan boss Shaun Maloney previously issued an update on Lang’s status at the club, indicating that he hopes he would remain with the Latics.

Lang’s best choice could be to wait for interest from League One promotion contenders Portsmouth and Derby, or to stick with Wigan and hope for a turnaround next season.