James McClean - famous for refusing to wear a poppy on his shirt during the Remeberance Service games in November because of his IRA links - could yet avoid relegation to League One with Wigan Athletic as Newcastle United are rumoured to be ready to make an offer.
'Poppy Boy' joined the ‘Latics’ for a knockdown fee of £1 million from Sunderland in the summer of 2013 after having signed a lucrative deal with the “Black Cats” when under the stewardship of Martin O’Neill.
Rumours are rife in the North-East suggesting that the “Magpies” are prepared to table a bid of £4 million for the Republic of Ireland international.
Having dropped down into the Championship - taking one step back, to move two steps forward - McClean openly admitted that he was taking a significant drop in salary to join the “Latics,” then under the management of Owen Coyle.
Since then, it’s also understood that he had been interested in spending a loan spell in the Scottish Premier League with Celtic but that move failed to materialise during this year’s January Transfer Window.