Former Newcastle defender Paul Dummett set to join Wigan Athletic

Former Newcastle United defender Paul Dummett has agreed to join League One side Wigan Athletic on an initial short-term deal.

The 33-year-old has been without a club since being released from Newcastle at the end of June, when his contract expired.

He held tentative discussions with multiple clubs over the summers, including Wolverhampton Wanderers , but was unable to reach an agreement.

Dummett, who can play as a left-back or a centre-half, has now joined third-tier Wigan on an initial contract until January.

A boyhood Newcastle supporter, Dummett progressed through the club's academy and made 213 appearances for the Tyneside outfit between 2012 and 2024.

Despite barely featuring once Eddie Howe arrived as head coach in November 2021, Dummett was considered a pivotal senior figure behind the scenes. Howe was keen to retain Dummett's services but, having handed the defender a 12-month contract extension in 2023, the head coach released the Geordie over the summer.

Had Newcastle qualified for European competition, then Howe hoped to convince the hierarchy to keep Dummett around. In the UEFA Conference League, Dummett may even have received decent game time, too.

Rather than retire, Dummett has been keen to find a new club but has waited for an opportunity he felt best suited to. Seemingly he has found that at Wigan, who are 19th in League One .

(Ian MacNicol/)