Hull City and Wigan Athletic will go head to head in the battle to sign Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Christian Walton this summer, according to a respected football journalist.

Alan Nixon is reporting on Twitter that Hull are keen on signing Walton this summer, although Wigan desperately want to bring their loan star back to the club for next season.

The 22-year-old has enjoyed a successful spell on loan at Wigan this term, helping them to win promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Alongside Jamie Jones, Walton has contributed to a club record of 26 clean sheets for the Latics this season.

The 6ft 5in stopper has been very impressive between the sticks for Wigan, despite his young age, and their fans are keen on bringing him back next season, whether that be on loan or permanently.

Nixon does not specify whether these two teams are searching for a permanent or a temporary deal.

Hull could be in the market for a new goalkeeper this summer with Allan McGregor linked with a return to Scotland to join Hearts on a free transfer.

Walton, an England under-21 international, could be lined up as the replacement.

The Verdict

Christian Walton is an excellent young goalkeeper and he will surely be playing Premier League football in the future. The next logical step in his career is to make a loan move to the Championship and either of these options would be good, as long as he is guaranteed first team football. Perhaps he should stay at Wigan, where he is familiar with the manager, coaches, fans and players.

Hull and Wigan fans - Would you like to sign Walton? Let us know below...