Balogun makes his loan transfer to Wigan Athletic permanent until the end of the season

SUPER Eagles centreback Leon Balogun has completed a permanent transfer to English Championship club Wigan Athletic that will see him play for the club until the end of the current season.

Balogun, 31, joined English Premier league side Brighton & Hove on a two tear deal just before the 2018 World Cup. However, he struggled to find playing time at Brighton and in January, he was loaned out to Wigan where he appears to have regained some form as a result of playing regularly.

Following his return to form, Balogun had been recalled to the Super Eagles squad by head coach Gernot Rohr ahead of the planned 2021 African nations Cup qualifiers. However, due to the coronavirus lockdown, these qualifiers had to be postponed but following the restart of the football season, they are expected to resume soon.

Yesterday, Wigan officially announced that Balogun has completed a permanent transfer until the end of the 2019/20 season ending on July 21, 2020. That will be the day Wigan plays its final game of the season against Fulham.

Brighton manager Graham Potter, said: "Leon has always been extremely professional and good to work with during my time at the club but he was finding it hard to get the game time he would have liked. So the loan move to Wigan seemed to be a good move for everyone involved and he has made a really positive impact there.

"We would like to thank him for his contribution over the last couple of years and we wish him all the best for the next chapter of his career." Balogun has played six matches for Wigan Athletic but was not in the squad that beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 last weekend.