Wigan Athletic have beaten Middlesbrough to the signing of Crystal Palace midfielder Ben Watson. The former England U-21 international has joined the Latics for a reported fee of £2m.
Watson is Steve Bruce’s second January signing after Egyptian striker Mido. He is expected to fill the void left by the departure of Wilson Palacios. In Steve Bruce’s words,
“We believe he has the maturity to step back to the highest level and make an impression. He’s a midfielder who scores goals. He’s got quick feet, plenty of power and is a terrific prospect. I wanted to move quickly to start filling the gap left by Wilson Palacios and Ben is the start of that process.”
Watson has signed a three and a half year contract at the JJB. He is expected to make his Wigan debut in their Premier League clash against Liverpool on Wednesday.
Middlesbrough also had a bid for Watson accepted by Crystal Palace, but Watson chose Wigan over them.