Whelan wants a brick put through transfer window

With the club performing fantastically well this season, January proved to be a tough time with 5 departures and four new faces brought into the club. The big departures were Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey and Whelan says that this could have an effect on how Latics finish the season. Europe is still a possibility but with Manchester City and West Ham also pushing Latics to be in contention for a European spot, the new arrivals will have to find their feet quickly if the club is to continue the push for European football next season.

Speaking to the Wigan Observer, Whelan said that prices are inflated and a mad rush ensues towards the last seven days.

"The transfer window makes things very difficult for clubs like ours," Whelan said. "A month is too long - that is the big problem of it. If it was a fortnight or 10 days, that would be plenty."

"Everything happens in the last seven days anyway. If they are going to keep it, then they either have to half it or reduce it even more - maybe to even just a week.

"There are two ways of looking at it. You can either go back to the old days where you could buy or sell players throughout the season, or you cut it back to a week or two at the most.

"One thing the transfer window does is put the prices up for everybody, and clubs end up paying money for players who are not actually worth the fee because of pure desperation.

"All it does is create an artificial market, and it inflates players' prices enormously. Clubs are made to buy players out of desperation, which I suppose is okay for the clubs selling them, but not for everybody else."

If a change was to be made, it would be strongly opposed by UEFA President Michel Platini who has made no secret about his dissatisfaction of English football. Any move to change the window would go against FIFA rules and a 'Gentlemen's agreement' could prove to be the answer where no clubs do business throughout January.