Wigan to bid £10m for striker Johnson

Jul 8 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

WIGAN ATHLETIC are ready to test Everton’s resolve by making a £10million bid for Andrew Johnson.

The Latics have been long-time admirers of the England international. And now manager Steve Bruce, who sold Johnson to Crystal Palace when manager of Birmingham, is now contemplating an official bid for the 27-year-old striker.

Sunderland are also tracking Johnson, but it is thought the player has no desire to move to the North East.

Everton manager David Moyes has previously made clear he has no plans to sell Johnson, for whom he paid a then club record £8.6m to sign him from Crystal Palace two years ago. However, Johnson had to play second fiddle to Yakubu for periods of last season, eventually scoring 10 goals in 39 appearances.

And Moyes, who is tracking Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, could be tempted into considering a potential Wigan offer, given his need for funds to facilitate his summer squad strengthening.

Meanwhile Mikel Arteta is determined to recapture his best form after admitting injury affected his perfor-mances last season.

The Spanish midfielder went under the knife earlier in the summer to address the groin and abdominal problems that had plagued him since November.

Arteta is in the final stages of his rehabili-tation and stayed behind at Finch Farm to work on his fitness as the majority of the Everton squad travelled to Switzerland for a week-long training camp.

And the 26-year-old has revealed his frustration at being unable to replicate the scintillating displays that had earned him the club’s Player of the Year award the previous campaign.

“Gradually the groin got worse and the pain was bigger,” said Arteta to evertonTV. “In the end, we thought the best way to resolve the problem was surgery. I’ve been doing rehab all summer so fingers crossed I’m going to feel much better. We’ve got a long pre-season and I plan to play at some point.

“When you play with pain you can’t train and obviously that affects your fitness levels and confidence. The only thing I’m ask-ing now is not to have the pain because I know if that is the case I have a lot to offer. Hopefully this season is going to be a big one.”