Latics open £1m talks over Kipre
WIGAN have opened talks with Motherwell over a potential £1million move for central defender Cedric Kipre.
The Ivory Coast international is understood to be discussing personal terms with the English Championship club as he prepares for a medical.
With the Latics nearing the end of a protracted takeover, their manager Paul Cook made an approach for 21-year-old Kipre following his team’s 3-0 loss to Rangers in a friendly at Ibrox last Sunday.
Negotiations were continuing last night after Motherwell slapped the £1m price tag on their former Leicester City defender.
Kipre was one of the Lanarkshire side’s star men during his debut season at Fir Park, helping them to the finals of both the Scottish and League cups, where they lost to Celtic.
Under contract until 2020, he was the subject of a failed £250,000 bid from Hull City last month. Now Wigan hope to tie up an agreement before tomorrow’s league opener against Sheffield Wednesday.
For Motherwell boss Stephen Robinson, it means the potential loss of yet another key player ahead of his team’s trip to Hibs on Sunday.
He has already been dealt a blow on the eve of the new Premiership season after it was revealed that Ryan Bowman will miss the first six weeks of the campaign after picking up an injury in the recent Betfred Cup win over Queen of the South.
The striker joins Charles Dunne and Craig Tanner on the casualty list, while Chris Cadden is also a doubt ahead of the league opener and Allan Campbell is suspended.
Midfielder Cadden only returned to training yesterday after suffering a knock in the win over Clyde last Saturday, and Robinson admitted he has ‘slight concerns’ over the Scotland international.
But he has been happy with the form of new forwards Conor Sammon and Danny Johnson, who have enjoyed goalscoring starts to the season.
‘As much as I’m not 100-per-cent happy with everything, our strikers have scored goals,’ said the Fir Park manager.
‘Even last Saturday when our performance was okay and we got the job done, all three strikers scored, so there are lots of positives and we create a lot of chances.’
On his personnel problems ahead of the start of the new campaign, Robinson added: ‘A manager is never happy, I always want other things but we are limited with what we can do, in terms of money.
‘We have brought players in for more competition and expectations have risen, but the reality is, first and foremost, our goal is to stay in this division.
‘It is frustrating that we are missing players for the first game but 90 per cent of managers are probably in the same position.
‘Yes, we have lost some influential players but people need to step up, it’s as simple as that.’
Robinson is slightly concerned that his team could get caught up in a goals feast at Easter Road this weekend.
Thirty-one goals have been scored in the last four matches staged there after Hibs beat Kilmarnock 5-3 and drew 5-5 with Rangers at the end of last season, then beat Runavik 6-2 and Asteras Tripolis 3-2 in Europe at the start of this campaign.
‘It’s not an easy start for us,’ said Robinson.
‘It’s an exciting game and they always tend to be open against Hibs. That’s not to my liking — and probably not to Neil Lennon’s liking, but it’s always interesting.
‘There tends to be a lot of goals and excitement when you play Hibs, but, hopefully, it’s not too open this time.
‘Hibs are a good team and they have threats on that big pitch at Easter Road.
‘I like watching Hibs play as they do score and concede — but that’s something Lenny will be looking to rectify.
‘They try to outscore teams and they have the ability to do that, so we need to be disciplined and organised. We also need to be patient, too.’