Whelan admits Wigan may sell Hugo RodallegaDave Whelan has told Soccernet that Wigan may be forced to sell Hugo Rodallega this summer and he will not stand in the striker's way should a bigger club make a formal offer.
Whelan admits that for a club like Wigan to survive, he must authorise the sale of one of the team's best players and he has rejected a bid from Birmingham for Charles N'Zogbia, while there have been enquires for Rodallega from one of the Premier League's elite.
Rodallega has been linked with both Aston Villa and Arsenal and while Whelan was unwilling to name names, it is more likely that the striker could be attracting interest from Martin O'Neill, as Arsenal have already signed Marouane Chamakh this summer.
Wigan have seen the likes of Wilson Palacios and Antonio Valencia depart for bigger clubs in recent seasons and Whelan admits that trend will continue. However, he hopes that the World Cup will demonstrate Wigan are continuing to unearth good players, with Maynor Figueroa in particular looking to impress.
Whelan told Soccernet: "We have six players at the World Cup - now, that's not bad for a club like Wigan, now is it? But we do have to be realistic and sometimes we have to sell to survive, and that means selling one of our best players.
"It is simple economics for a club like Wigan that we have to sell a player now and again to survive, however much we don't like selling and would love to keep all our good players. But also, if one of the top six, or even top eight clubs want one of our best players it would be wrong to stand in their way, and we wouldn't do that.
"We have three or four players that the clubs are looking closely at and who know their value might soar if they have good World Cups.
"Certainly I would say £15 million for Rodallega isn't outrageous. Of course he is a player we do not want to sell and I would love it if he started next season with us, but equally sometimes we have to sell a player like this, we have no choice."
Whelan is one of the big success stories of recent years as Wigan, with their small budget, have been able to survive in the Premier League while some of the bigger names have fallen.
The Latics were promoted under Paul Jewell and enjoyed further success under Steve Bruce, and Whelan is confident that Roberto Martinez will continue to preserve Wigan's Premier League status going into next season.
Whelan said: "This will be our sixth season in the Premier League and that is some feat. We have had some good managers, and we have an extra good one now. Survival is basically down to having a good manager."
Whelan admits that for a club like Wigan to survive, he must authorise the sale of one of the team's best players and he has rejected a bid from Birmingham for Charles N'Zogbia, while there have been enquires for Rodallega from one of the Premier League's elite.
Rodallega has been linked with both Aston Villa and Arsenal and while Whelan was unwilling to name names, it is more likely that the striker could be attracting interest from Martin O'Neill, as Arsenal have already signed Marouane Chamakh this summer.
Wigan have seen the likes of Wilson Palacios and Antonio Valencia depart for bigger clubs in recent seasons and Whelan admits that trend will continue. However, he hopes that the World Cup will demonstrate Wigan are continuing to unearth good players, with Maynor Figueroa in particular looking to impress.
Whelan told Soccernet: "We have six players at the World Cup - now, that's not bad for a club like Wigan, now is it? But we do have to be realistic and sometimes we have to sell to survive, and that means selling one of our best players.
"It is simple economics for a club like Wigan that we have to sell a player now and again to survive, however much we don't like selling and would love to keep all our good players. But also, if one of the top six, or even top eight clubs want one of our best players it would be wrong to stand in their way, and we wouldn't do that.
"We have three or four players that the clubs are looking closely at and who know their value might soar if they have good World Cups.
"Certainly I would say £15 million for Rodallega isn't outrageous. Of course he is a player we do not want to sell and I would love it if he started next season with us, but equally sometimes we have to sell a player like this, we have no choice."
Whelan is one of the big success stories of recent years as Wigan, with their small budget, have been able to survive in the Premier League while some of the bigger names have fallen.
The Latics were promoted under Paul Jewell and enjoyed further success under Steve Bruce, and Whelan is confident that Roberto Martinez will continue to preserve Wigan's Premier League status going into next season.
Whelan said: "This will be our sixth season in the Premier League and that is some feat. We have had some good managers, and we have an extra good one now. Survival is basically down to having a good manager."