Queens Park Rangers of the Championship may have provided Wigan Athletic with the solution to selling Sam Tickle.

Given that Wigan Athletic has already added Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullin, Akeel Higgins, Sonny Perkins, Connor Barrett, and Max Power to their roster, it may have been necessary to sell Sam Tickle to Bristol City in order to rebuild the team in a number of areas.

However, Tickle was one of the team’s top players, winning Player of the Season in 2023–2024 and making the League One Team of the Season in 2024–2025. It will undoubtedly be difficult to replace him.

Due to Julien Stephan’s inconsistent goalkeeping, QPR, in addition to Bristol City, had also been in for Tickle. They have released Ben Hamer and Paul Nardi this summer already, leaving Murphy Cooper and Joe Walsh as the club’s only goalkeepers.

Wigan Athletic edge in on signing QPR’s Joe Walsh

Gary Caldwell’s only goalkeeper, 21-year-old Tom Watson of QPR, is the target of Wigan’s sixth summer move.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Walsh of QPR is joining Wigan on loan for the current campaign. He claims that Walsh, who formerly played for Accrington Stanley, has accepted the Latics’ invitation to go to the north-west.

Wigan have been seeking for a number one to come in from the loan market and Walsh is their man. It’s also believed that QPR want Walsh to gain more first-team exposure.

Walsh has made 31 appearances for QPR thus far, giving up 56 goals while keeping five clean sheets. Last season saw him keep four of those clean sheets and make 25 appearances, with Stephan trying to pin down his first choice.

Walsh hails from Kent and came through the ranks with Gillingham before sealing a permanent switch to QPR back in 2019. He has previously had loans with Hampton & Richmond Borough, Dorking Wanderers, Maidenhead United, and Accrington since joining the R’s.

The 2026/27 season is a significant opportunity for Gary Caldwell and Wigan

Since their relegation from the Championship, Wigan Athletic have finished 12th, 15th, and most recently 16th in League One, indicating gradual decline but still falling far short of where a team of their status should be.

The 2026/27 season must be one in which the Latics move forward rather than simply consolidating their status in the division. Caldwell’s return at the close of last season has undoubtedly provided reasons for optimism, with Wigan winning seven and drawing four of his 16 games in charge, establishing genuine momentum moving into the summer.

However, good results alone will not enough in an increasingly competitive League One. Recruitment will surely be critical, which is why Wigan has been so busy already. If the club invests its resources wisely, adding quality in crucial areas, it has a good chance of challenging for the play-offs.

Caldwell must now build on his promising start by demonstrating genuine ambition and contributing to Wigan’s return to the promotion race. Is that what signing Walsh accomplishes? This one feels risky given Tickle’s consistency and dependability. Was the loan market actually Wigan’s best option? His form at QPR has been worrying, but he also requires games and experience to progress.