Wigan Athletic are set to beat Plymouth Argyle in a race to sign a Championship midfielder.
The Latics have been exploring central options to enhance their push towards the top half of the table. This comes after a disappointing campaign, during which the club finished 15th in the table.
Their 2025/26 journey has begun similarly, with Wigan currently sitting in 13th. They will be looking at being in the top half of League One as the bare minimum this season; however, with strong newcomers from both the Championship and League One, they will need strength in depth to succeed in their hopes of a playoff push.
Wigan Athletic set to beat Plymouth to Swansea midfielder
Darren Witcoop of TeamTalk this morning has announced that Wigan are now set to beat Plymouth to the signing of Swansea midfielder Ollie Cooper.
Wigan now set to beat Plymouth to the loan signing of Swansea midfielder Ollie Cooper. Bristol Rovers also signing Swansea teammate Joe Cotterill. #scfc #brfc #wafc #wigan #latics #argyle #Plymouth #DeadlineDay
— Darren Witcoop (@DarrenOWitcoop) September 1, 2025
Cooper has spent his entire career as a Swansea City player, with just a single season on loan away from the club at Welsh rivals Newport County. In his time at Swansea, Cooper has made 106 appearances and has regularly appeared for the club for the past three seasons.
Despite this, the former Swansea midfielder is obviously not in the club’s plans for this season. In the opening four matches of this season, Cooper has been unused, spending three matches as an unused substitute.
Newly relegated Plymouth Argyle were close to completing the signing. However, as of Deadline Day, Wigan have swooped in to beat Argyle to the chase.
Cooper brings experience to Wigan Athletic
Surprisingly, Ollie Cooper is dropping to League One. As mentioned, the midfielder has been a mainstay in a Championship squad for some years now.
The Derby-born midfielder has accrued over 4500 appearances for the Swans. In addition, he also has five Wales appearances. Yet, since a long injury at the end of 2024, lasting until February, he has dropped out of favour at the club.
Nevertheless, Swansea are a team that finished in the middle of the Championship last season. Ollie Cooper will likely have been on the radar of some newly promoted sides who are looking to add experience to their side.
However, the start to the Swans’ 2025/26 season has proved that the Welsh side can comfortably succeed without Cooper, as they currently have two wins, a draw, and just a single loss; sitting in seventh in the Championship.
Whether Cooper goes to Wigan or Plymouth, there’s no doubt that he will add quality to the side and aid the club in a push for promotion. With just seven hours left until the transfer deadline, the move will have to happen quickly.