NafisaWigan Athletic manager Shaun Maloney has expressed his strong desire to retain Nottingham Forest loanee Dale Taylor for the long term. The forward is set to return to his parent club this summer when his loan spell concludes.
Taylor, 21, has been a standout performer for the League One side this season, making 28 league appearances while contributing eight goals and seven assists.
Following their 2-1 victory over Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night, Maloney spoke highly of the attacker, as shared on the Latics’ official X account: “Dale Taylor has been brilliant for us, an absolute standout. I’m relying on him even more now with Will Goodwin’s injury and obviously with (Josh) Stones going to York. He’s been brilliant. I’m a huge fan of him. I would love to work extremely hard to keep him at this club for a long time.”
Wigan Athletic keen on securing Dale Taylor’s return
Wigan Athletic brought Taylor in last year to strengthen their attacking options, with Nottingham Forest allowing him to leave on loan to gain more first-team experience.
Forest, currently pushing for Champions League qualification under Nuno Espírito Santo, will need to decide on the forward’s future later this year.
Taylor, who joined the club from Linfield in 2020, made his senior debut in 2022 during a Carabao Cup tie against Grimsby Town. The Northern Ireland international, capped eight times, had his first loan spell at Burton Albion in 2023, where he netted five goals in 20 games. He then spent last season with Wycombe Wanderers, scoring nine goals in 51 appearances.
What’s next for Wigan Athletic and Dale Taylor?
Whether Wigan Athletic can bring Taylor back in some capacity in the next transfer window remains to be seen. His contract at Nottingham Forest runs until June 2027.
The Latics’ victory over Huddersfield Town was an important one in front of their home supporters. Maloney’s side will now look to build on that momentum when they host Reading this weekend.
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