Norwich City defender Leon Barnett is set to become Owen Coyle’s latest recruit after a fee was agreed for the 27-year-old.
Barnett will be Coyle’s ninth signing of a busy summer for the new Wigan manager and will join his old team mate Grant Holt at the DW Stadium as the side prepare for this weekend’s season’s opener at Barnsley.
The centre-half had been told by Canaries manager Chris Hughton that he wasn’t part of his future plans and that he was free to find himself a new club after spending the latter part of last season on loan at Cardiff City.
And with some notable departures from the back line over the close season compounded by the long term injury to Ivan Ramis plus the uncertainty over new signing Thomas Rogne’s fitness Coyle has been keen to bolster his numbers in that department with Barnett fitting that bill.
He began his footballing path at Luton Town’s youth academy where Latics stalwart Emmerson Boyce was currently plying his trade but after signing professional terms struggled to establish himself in the senior squad, consigned to a handful of appearances in cup competition.
He was subsequently loaned out to non-league side Aylesbury United, Boyce’s first club, before returning to Kenilworth Road where he found himself making more regular appearances in the first team.
In the summer of 2007 Barnett made the move to West Bromwich Albion for an eventual fee of £3 million where he made a total of 56 appearances during his four years with the club.
He spent spells on loan with Coventry City and then Norwich City where he eventually signed on a permanent deal for an undisclosed sum.
A reported fee of £500,000 has been agreed between Wigan and Norwich and pending a successful medical Barnett should be available to join the squad for Saturday’s visit to Oakwell.
