Whelan intimates a way back for Chimbonda

By Alan G
May 8 2006

Latics Chairman Dave Whelan has intimated there may still be room for Pascal Chimbonda amongst the Wigan Athletic ranks despite his recent transfer request.

The Frenchman enraged Latics supremo Whelan and manager Paul Jewell by handing a written request to quit the club immediately after Sunday's defeat at Arsenal.

 

Whelan said: "I thought the timing of the request was absolutely diabolical.

 

"There is a time and a place to do such a thing, and after a game like this is not that time.

 

"But we will let him go because we cannot afford to have players at this club who do not want to play for us.

 

"However, we will not be letting him go cheaply.

 

"The price is £6million, not a penny less. If anybody wants to pay that, they can buy him; if they don't he can play in the reserves until the day his contract is over.

 

Whelan indicated however that a change in Pascal’s attitude could save him should no-one match the club’s valuation of the player:

 

"I've talked with Paul Jewell and we both agree. That situation will not change, unless he pulls his socks up and says he's a Wigan Athletic player through and through."

 

Jewell was also furious with the way Chimbonda handled himself after the Arsenal game.

 

Jewell said: "I was standing in the dressing room ready to shake the players' hands as they came off the pitch and to congratulate them on a magnificent season in leading this club to a miraculous top-half finish in the Premiership.

 

"The player came up to me, still dressed in his kit, and handed me his written transfer request, along with a note to thank me and the club for all our help this season.

 

"To say I was livid was an understatement.

 

"We have had two meetings this week with him to discuss the future and had made it clear we would not stand in his way if the right offer came along.

 

"So to then be treated this way shows a quite spectacular level of disrespect to myself, the chairman, to all his team-mates and to the Wigan Athletic fans who have supported him this year."