A major update has emerged on Ipswich Town target Max Power, regarding where he will be playing his football next season.
What's the talk?
Ipswich Town target Max Power has officially signed for League One rivals Wigan Athletic. Power has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with Wigan and will link up with his new teammates at the start of next month upon the expiry of his deal at Sunderland.
The East Anglian Daily Times reported earlier this month that Ipswich manager Paul Cook was keen on a reunion with Power after working with the midfielder earlier in his career. Ipswich have now missed out on a deal for Power, with Wigan swooping in to secure a deal with the Sunderland man.
Wigan manager Leam Richardson hailed the “fantastic” midfielder upon his arrival at the club. He told Wigan's official website:
“Max is a great lad who I really enjoyed working with the first time around. He is fantastic in the dressing room, and a great character to have around the place.
“He still has a lot to offer, he can play a number of different positions as he did during his last spell, and we are delighted to have him back at Wigan Athletic.”
Cook will be devastated
Ipswich manager Cook will be devastated by this update as he has missed out on landing a familiar face ahead of next season. Cook managed Power during their previous spells at Wigan together, which means that the 27-year-old would likely not have needed the adaptation period other signings may need to adjust to Cook and his management style.
Power could have been an excellent addition to Cook's squad too. He enjoyed a solid season with Sunderland in League One as he averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.74, producing five goals and three assists, across 44 appearances.
He could have added additional, proven, quality to Cook's options, whilst also being able to play in a variety of positions. The £3.9k-per-week dynamo was deployed as a defensive midfielder, right-back, centre-back and central midfielder in League One for Sunderland last season.
Cook will not be best pleased with Wigan securing Power's services ahead of Ipswich. CEO Mark Ashton will now need to work hard to source alternative targets in the coming weeks to make sure that Cook has enough quality to mount a promotion push next season.
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