3. Low Expenditure
Manchester City spent over
£40 million this season, Spurs over
£55 million, Chelsea just short of
£60 million. Wigan? Under
£8 million. The Latics have an admirable habit of loaning players rather than purchasing - Scharner, Henriquez, Miyaichi and Robles were the four latest Wigan loanees. The free transfer of Roger Espinoza was another coup and proves that Martinez has a real eye for a bargain. To further the point made in the first sentence, Wigan spent a combined sum of around £12 million on the 12 players that appeared in the FA Cup final, whilst ten of the fourteen players who featured for Manchester City succeeded that figure alone. In a day and age where most teams only get by if they make big money signings, Wigan went against this with their consistently low expenditure on signings. Their record transfer fee remains the
£6 million spent on Frenchman Charles N'Zogbia, a sum which they made a £2.5 million profit on. To call Athletic sensible with their money would be a crude understatement and Martinez embodies all that the club stands for - youth, bargains and spirit. Wigan are unlikely to be replaced by any of the future Championship new boys. Cardiff City are likely to splash cash due to their Malaysian owners' ambitions, Hull City boss Steve Bruce is known for spending big figures (see Asamoah Gyan) and the playoff winners, Watford or Crystal Palace, will enjoy an influx of cash with their promotion which will likely be spent on new recruits.