Whelan closes on new manager
Joe Royle is now thought to be leading the running for the Wigan job
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Tuesday, 13, Nov 2007 11:19
Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan has claimed the club are on the brink of an agreement with a new manager to replace Chris Hutchings.
The JJB Stadium side are currently mired in the relegation zone after a dismal start to the season.
And there was little in the weekend's 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, overseen by caretaker boss Frank Barlow, to suggest the side had the means to recreate last season's dramatic escape from the drop.
"I am in advanced talks with one outstanding candidate. The process is going well," Whelan said.
"We hope to make an announcement in the very near future. We don't want to jeopardise anything at this stage."
Whelan's confidence comes after former manager Paul Jewell revealed he knocked back the chance to rejoin the club.
Jewell, who departed immediately after Wigan's last-day survival success in the summer, was Whelan's first choice to take charge of the team.
But his refusal and Barlow's reluctance to take on the role on a permanent basis has forced the chairman to consider other options.
It is now believed that former Everton and Manchester City boss Joe Royle is leading the race for the position with Graeme Souness also linked to the role after more than a year and a half out of the game.
Royle recently withdrew from the running for the vacant manager's job at Championship side Leicester City.