Wigan want to sign Joe Rafferty after Portsmouth transfer decision – report
Portsmouth champion Joe Rafferty is being courted by Wigan Athletic ahead of a potential move to the DW Stadium, according to Alan Nixon.
The experienced right-back was one of 10 first-team players let go by the club after lifting the League One title and securing a return to the Championship, and could be tempted by a contract at the DW Stadium.
Former Preston man Rafferty is a native of Liverpool and Sun journalist Nixon reports via his Patreon (12 May) that the defender is open to a return to the North West, having made 39 appearances last season for Pompey.
Wigan would welcome the addition of a promotion winner in their ranks, and Rafferty is confident he will continue to perform at a high League One standard having debated his release from Fratton Park.
What Joe Rafferty can bring to his next club
Despite John Mousinho and his staff feeling that Rafferty may not be at the required level in the Championship beyond the next year or two, the 30-year-old still has plenty to offer his next employers.
Rafferty was described as a player who helped manage the dressing room, and acted as a reliable senior figure to less experienced teammates at the club.
Senior pros like this are beneficial for any EFL outfit and take the load off managers as they corral their squad for a long campaign, but what he offers on the pitch is just as vital.
Rafferty’s positional sense and ability in defensive duels has earned him a reputation as a player to be relied upon. The full-back won 61% of his ground duels this season, whilst being part of a side on 14 occasions to earn a clean sheet and by not committing a single error leading to a goal in 2023-24 [Sofascore].
The full-back, like all of his kind, also enjoys a foray forward and despite not scoring in the league this term, did chip in with four assists and nine key chances created.
In other Portsmouth news, Don Goodman claims the club must do all they can to tie a key player down.
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