Wigan Athletic are willing to pay £1 million for Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Christian Walton.

The 23-year-old has spent the past two seasons on loan with the Latics and they now want to sign him on a permanent deal, according to journalist Alan Nixon on Twitter.

Walton helped Paul Cook’s side win the League One title in his first spell at the club and he then played a key part in their Championship survival this season.

He started his career at Plymouth Argyle before signing for Brighton in 2013. He has played four times for the Seagulls since joining them but has spent most of his time out on loan to gain first-team experience.

Walton’s first loan spells came in the 2015/16 season where he spent the first half of the campaign at Bury before returning to Plymouth for the remainder. He then had separate spells at Luton Town and Southend United last season before he was snapped up by Wigan in 2017.

He has also represented England at Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 level so is seen as a promising talent. Brighton may still see him as a long-term option so any potential departure for him in the summer may be on loan again.

Signing Walton on a permanent deal would be impressive business by Wigan. The North-West side could face a battle to hold onto key man Nick Powell over the next month with Sheffield Wednesday keen, as reported by The72.