Wigan Athletic have lost central midfielder Baba Adeeko, who has signed for Rochdale on a one-year deal following five years at the DW Stadium. The 23-year-old leaves the Latics with 98 appearances to his name, 80 of them in League One, and drops a division to join a Rochdale side who have just come up.

A decent stint, quietly ended

Adeeko, born in Galway and a Republic of Ireland youth international at Under-19 and Under-21 level, came through the Wigan setup after making his first-team debut in a Carabao Cup tie in 2021. That is, in fairness, a fairly standard route for a midfielder who never quite forced his way into the first-choice picture but accumulated enough minutes across five seasons to suggest he is a reasonable Football League operator.

Eighty league appearances at this level is not nothing. It is also not quite enough to earn a new contract at a club with presumably higher ambitions for the campaign ahead. No acrimony has been reported on either side, and the deal appears to have been concluded without much fuss.

What it means for Wigan

For Wigan, the departure tidies up the squad. The Latics have already been active in the transfer window this summer, most notably bringing in Manchester City defender Finley Burns on a three-year deal. Manager Shaun Caldwell has been publicly candid about the team's shortcomings after the opening fixture, describing his side as "too easy to play against", so there is clearly work still to be done on the shape and substance of the squad rather than the personnel leaving it.

Adeeko's exit frees up a wage and a squad spot. Whether Wigan reinvest in that specific position remains to be seen, but the club's public messaging has been about bringing in players who press harder and win the ball back quicker. A holding or box-to-box midfielder who offers more physicality would fit that stated intent, though nothing has been confirmed.

Rochdale get some League One experience

From Rochdale's perspective, signing someone with Adeeko's third-tier experience is a reasonable piece of business for a side coming up from below. Newly-promoted clubs frequently look to bring in players who have already operated at the target level, and a midfielder with 80 League One appearances carries real practical value when you are trying to avoid an immediate return.

Rochdale open their League Two campaign at Newport on Saturday, so Adeeko has arrived just in time to potentially feature from the off. Whether he slots straight into the starting eleven or beds in from the bench is a matter for their manager to decide. Either way, from Wigan's perspective, it is a clean exit for a player who served the club without particularly defining it.

The wider picture at Wigan

Wigan are in the early stages of what Caldwell has, in effect, flagged as a transitional period. The criticism of the opening day performance suggests he is not in the business of managing expectations upward before the squad justifies it, which is at least honest. With Burns added to the defensive options and Adeeko now moved on, the squad is being reshaped, albeit quietly.

League One is unforgiving to sides who start slowly, and with the run-in always seeming to arrive sooner than clubs expect, the business done in August tends to define whether a team is chasing or being chased come March. Wigan's summer is not finished, if the early signals from the dugout are anything to go by.

Frequently asked

Why has Baba Adeeko left Wigan Athletic?
Adeeko departed Wigan at the end of his contract after five seasons, making 98 appearances in total including 80 in League One. He has joined Rochdale on a one-year deal.
How many League One appearances did Adeeko make for Wigan?
Baba Adeeko made 80 League One appearances for Wigan Athletic during his five years at the club.
Which clubs has Baba Adeeko played for?
Adeeko came through at Wigan Athletic, where he spent five seasons and made 98 appearances, before signing for Rochdale in the summer of 2026.