Ex-Nottingham Forest defender Tyler Blackett is on his way back to England to sign for Wigan Athletic, according to Sky Sports. New boss Kolo Toure has identified the former Reds left-back has someone who can help his team.
Wigan are in desperate need of a lift. The Latics sit rock bottom of the Championship and Toure has the remit to keep the team afloat and maintain their second-tier status.
Blackett spent a single season at Forest, having signed on a free transfer in 2020. Injury ruined his chance to hold down a regular place in the team and he left having made just 16 appearances for the Reds.
He joined FC Cincinnati after leaving the City Ground but has now been released. As a result, he’s free to sign for the Latics on a free transfer and the deal is expected to go through.
Blackett has bags of experience in England. He made 122 appearances for Reading and was a regular during the season in which they reached the Championship play-off final and lost to Huddersfield.
He also made 12 appearances for Manchester United as a youngster and has spent time with Blackpool and Birmingham City during his time playing in England.
When coming through the Old Trafford youth ranks, he was handed priase by Ashley Young. The ex-United star called him ‘fantastic’ after he was called upon for a game at Arsenal.
Blackett to sign for Wigan
The 28-year-old is a player that won’t live long in the memory of the Forest fan base. He only managed 16 appearances and played for the club during the drab 2020/21 campaign.
He was signed during a summer when a mismatch of players were signed. It seemed strange at the time, with the Reds only narrowly missing out on the play-offs during 2019/20.
It will be intriguing to see what Blackett is capable of these days. He can hardly do any worse than what Wigan have right now and the hope will be that he can lead the Latics to survival.