Wigan to offer Jason Koumas to land Cardiff star Joe Ledley

Wigan boss Steve Bruce is ready to make a record £6million raid for Cardiff City's Welsh wonder Joe Ledley - as he bids to spend his transfer windfall.

Bruce is keen to snap up highlyrated Ledley by offering £4million plus Wales star and former Bluebird Jason Koumas, who is valued at £2m.

Ledley may be sold before the window shuts, with Stoke still among his admirers. But Bruce is armed with the cash from the sales of £14m Wilson Palacios and £3.5m Emile Heskey.

Bruce is concentrating on Ledley as a move for Reading's Stephen Hunt falters. The Ireland wide man is a £5m target, but he is reluctant to join the Latics.

The Wigan boss knows he must strengthen and Ledley would be ideal for him as he tries to keep a mix of young British players and foreign talent in his team.

The Latics chief is finding it hard to land the people he wants - and failed when he asked Tottenham to let him have Jamie O'Hara - but he is determined to push the boat out for Ledley.

Wigan will also complete a £1.8m swoop for Crystal Palace's Ben Watson today when he heads back for a medical after taking the weekend off to consider the move.

Watson has been offered better terms by Latics than Middlesbrough were willing to pay him and he seems set to join Bruce's squad in time for a debut against Liverpool on Wednesday.

Boro are resigned to missing out on Watson. Manager Gareth Southgate said: "We are disappointed because we have done a lot of work over a couple of months towards that, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

"It's a disappointment but several factors came into the player's mind and our league position may come into it." Asked if he had other targets, Southgate added: "We have got ideas but as soon as those ideas become public we lose players, so I will be keeping that very close tomy chest from now on."

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