Wigan Athletic's hopes of landing on-loan star Reece James have taken a further blow, with former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson urging the Reds to make a move for the Chelsea man.

James was superb for the Latics this season as he picked up the player of the year award at the DW Stadium, and they would have held some small hopes of landing the versatile youngster once again during the summer.

However, Lawrenson has been impressed with James' performances in the Championship, and backed his former club to make a move for the youngster.

“Recruitment is the biggest thing for any club now and I don’t think Klopp will go mad in the transfer market this summer,” Lawrenson told the Daily Star.

“But I tell you who I’ve seen - and I don’t think they could easily get him - the right-back at Wigan, on loan from Chelsea, Reece James. In that league he makes it look so ridiculously easy. I think he could make the step up.

“But of course he belongs to Chelsea at the moment.”

James will no doubt be a wanted man over the summer as a host of Premier League and Championship clubs look to make their move for the youngster, who is unlikely to be given a massive chance at Stamford Bridge based on the club's history of promoting young players.

Selling to Liverpool will of course be a shock, but stranger things have happened, and if James fancied getting some first team football, then he'd have more chance at Anfield than Stamford Bridge.

Sadly for Wigan, it looks like they will have no chance of bringing the Chelsea man back to the club if this sort of talk continues.

The Verdict

Lawrenson is right to be talking about James and he is going to go on and be a superb player.

However, for poor Wigan, they look to have no chance of landing him. He'll get a move to someone higher up the pyramid, with Premier League football most likely for James.