Chapter 626: A Long Month!

Werder Bremen’s offer for Ashley Fletcher had been accepted, and it didn’t take long for that to take over the previous discussions.

The German club had proposed a deal worth ￡30 million, with a further ￡5 million available in add-ons.

It was a substantial offer for a forward who had spent a considerable amount of time at Wigan, and the agreement suggested that Fletcher could be heading towards the exit.

This time, the reaction among supporters was less comfortable.

Fletcher wasn’t necessarily the first name on everyone’s team sheet, but he was a familiar face who had contributed to the club’s progress.

His hat-trick in the FA Cup against Bolton was still fresh in supporters’ minds, and many felt that losing him during the middle of the season would leave the squad short of an important option up front.

The fee was difficult to dismiss, particularly when the club had other attacking players available.

Yet supporters weren’t looking at the deal in isolation.

They had watched Adeeko leave, seen Milan attempt to prise Ezra away and heard the growing speculation around Jake.

Now Ashley Fletcher appeared to be following them out.

For a club chasing the Premier League title, the timing was what troubled them most.

The transfer window had become a test of Wigan’s ambitions.

It was one thing to attract bids for their players, but another to decide which offers were worth accepting when the team had a genuine chance to achieve something extraordinary.

But when the final day of the window dawned, it brought two further developments, and both changed the mood around the club.

The first concerned Wigan’s pursuit of Ben Mee.

Dawson had wanted to add another experienced defender to his options, but the move failed to materialise.

Brentford were reluctant to strengthen a direct rival, and despite Wigan’s interest, no agreement could be reached before the deadline.

It was a frustrating setback, although not an unexpected one.

Clubs were often unwilling to help a competitor improve further, especially when they were so far ahead like Wigan were.

Still, the decision didn’t go without eyes being raised at it, considering Ben Mee was at the end of his career and would have given Brentford some money had they accepted his deal.

The first development soon got glossed over, but the second development was far more welcome.

Fletcher had decided he wanted to stay, and despite Werder Bremen’s agreement with Wigan, the forward wasn’t convinced by the terms offered to him.

More importantly, he wanted to remain in England and help the Latics continue their fight for the Premier League title.

He declined the move, leaving the proposed transfer unable to proceed.

For supporters who had been uneasy about the prospect of losing him, the news came as a relief.

Fletcher might not have been guaranteed a starting place every week, but his decision to stay carried weight.

He had an opportunity to leave, and the club had been prepared to accept the offer.

Instead, he chose to remain part of the squad and see what Wigan could accomplish.

By the time the January transfer window closed, the overall picture had changed considerably.

Adeeko had departed for Wolves, but Ezra was staying.

Henderson and Willian had arrived to strengthen the squad, while the proposed deals for Ben Mee and Fletcher had fallen through.

Wigan had missed out on a defensive target, yet they had also avoided losing another forward at a time when the season was becoming increasingly demanding.

The supporters who had feared a January clear-out could finally breathe a little easier, but there were still questions to answer.

Henderson and Willian would have to prove that they could make a difference, and the club would need to manage its squad carefully as the fixtures accumulated.

The transfer window had also shown just how much attention Wigan’s success was attracting, with bigger clubs now viewing their players as potential additions to their own squads.

But the Latics had made it through the month without losing anyone too vital, and they had even added two experienced professionals to help with the challenge ahead.

For a club in Wigan’s position, that was hardly a bad outcome and with the window closed and no more negotiations to distract them, Dawson and his players could finally turn their attention towards Brighton and Hove Albion.

.....

While waiting for the arrival of their transferred players, Wigan continued their preparations for the game against Brighton, which would be their 22nd of the season.

The day hadn’t been as bad as usual, but with things accumulating, it started to show.

Leo, after what seemed like a long day but wasn’t really, got back to his apartment that evening and was tired enough to have considered skipping dinner altogether.

The past few days had been busy, even by the standards he had grown accustomed to.

Training, recovery sessions, meetings with Noah and the occasional obligation that came with being a professional footballer had left him with little time to himself.

The January window was finally closed, which meant he could at least stop wondering whether another round of transfer news would arrive before breakfast.

For now, he was stretched across his sofa, his phone propped up against a cushion, watching Vittoria complain about her day.

"And then she tells me that the entire thing needs to be redone," Vittoria said, throwing one hand into the air.

"The entire thing, Leo. After approving it yesterday. Apparently, she’d looked at it again this morning and decided that it wasn’t what she’d imagined."

Leo rested his cheek against his palm, smiling as she continued.

"What did you say?"

"What could I say? I smiled and nodded when she asked me if we could redo it again. She’s lucky I didn’t ask for extra compensation."

Vittoria paused, apparently reconsidering the memory.

"But my aunt still took it for me, so I think it worked out in the end," she said, laughing slightly at the last bit.

Leo chuckled at her words as Vittoria gave him a look through the screen, but the corner of her mouth twitched before she resumed her complaint.

She went through the rest of the day’s frustrations, from meetings she felt she didn’t need to be in but was forced to be in, to familial obligations after her mother wanted to flaunt her off like she always did at her ’tea parties’ and ’art shows.’

Leo listened, occasionally asking a question or making a comment that encouraged her to carry on.

He didn’t have much to contribute to the details of her work, but he knew when she wanted an answer and when she simply needed someone to hear her out.

Eventually, Vittoria leaned back in her chair and exhaled.

"Honestly, should I just quit?"

Leo’s smile lingered.

"Your entire career because of one bad day."

"Because of one bad day, but there have been others, and it is happening more frequently recently."

"Ah. So this is a developing situation."

"Leo."

He raised his free hand in surrender, still amused.

Vittoria studied his face for a moment, then leaned closer to her camera.

"If I did quit, would you take care of me?"