Wigan Athletic have brought in veteran striker Scott Hogan on a short-term contract running until January, as the club looks to sharpen an attack that has misfired through the early weeks of the League One season.

The signing in context

Hogan, 34, arrives without a club after leaving MK Dons at the end of last season. He had joined that club on a free transfer from Birmingham City in October 2024, making 56 appearances, though his only goal for the Dons came close to a year before his departure. It is the kind of goalscoring record that demands a degree of caution: one goal in a season is one goal in a season, and Wigan supporters would be wise to keep expectations measured while Hogan finds his feet at the DW Stadium.

That said, there is clearly a player of some pedigree here. Hogan made his name at Brentford, where he scored prolifically enough in the Championship to persuade Aston Villa to pay a reported fee of nine million pounds, rising to twelve million, for his services in January 2017. He has since accumulated experience at Stoke, Sheffield United and Rochdale among others, collecting nine caps for the Republic of Ireland along the way. At 34, he is emphatically in the autumn of his career, but a short-term deal carries minimal risk and at least provides cover in a position where Wigan have been short of options.

A slow start demands a response

The timing of this move is telling. Wigan's League One campaign has not gone smoothly. A 4-0 defeat and a 3-1 win over MK Dons have sat alongside other difficult results, and the mood at the club has been one of a side searching for consistency rather than one building momentum. The recent headlines around the Latics have tended to carry the word "loss" more often than anyone connected with the club would like, and manager Shaun Maloney will know that the table does not lie this early in the campaign.

Bringing in an experienced centre-forward, even one whose recent form has been modest, sends a signal that the club is not simply accepting the slow start as an unfortunate baseline. Whether Hogan can provide the spark is a different question entirely, and four games is four games: it is too soon to draw sweeping conclusions about where Wigan will ultimately sit in the third tier this season. But the squad needed depth, and it has been provided.

What Wigan actually need from him

The more realistic use case for Hogan is probably not as a twenty-goal-a-season guarantee but as an experienced body who holds the ball up, brings others into play and chips in with goals when the opportunity presents itself. At his best, that is a useful contribution in a division where physical presence in the box and the ability to link play can matter as much as outright pace or finishing statistics.

The deal runs only until January, which means the club has built in an automatic review point. If Hogan rediscovers any of his earlier form in front of goal, extending the arrangement will be straightforward. If he does not, Wigan will not find themselves locked into a long commitment. It is pragmatic business rather than a marquee statement, and for a side that has already been active in the transfer market this summer, adding experience on those terms makes sense.

The League One season is long enough that Wigan have time to turn their early difficulties around. Whether Hogan proves a meaningful part of that recovery, or simply rotates through the squad without leaving a lasting mark, will become clearer over the coming weeks.

Frequently asked

Who is Scott Hogan and why has Wigan signed him?
Scott Hogan is a 34-year-old striker and former Republic of Ireland international who joined Wigan Athletic on a short-term deal until January. He was previously at MK Dons and Birmingham City, and Wigan brought him in to bolster their attacking options after a slow start to their League One season.
How long is Scott Hogan's contract at Wigan Athletic?
Hogan has signed a short-term deal that runs until January, giving the club the option to review the arrangement at that point depending on how his spell at the club goes.
What is Scott Hogan's career history before joining Wigan?
Hogan made his name at Brentford before a big-money move to Aston Villa in January 2017. He has also had spells at Stoke, Sheffield United, Rochdale and Birmingham City, as well as earning nine caps for the Republic of Ireland.