Report: Former Portsmouth boss Paul Cook resigns as Wigan manager

The 53-year-old, who guided the Blues to the 2017 League Two title, is believed to have stepped down from his position following the Latics’ relegation from the Championship.

Wigan dropped to League One after entering administration at the start of July – a move that prompted a 12-point deduction.

That saw them drop from 13th to 23rd in the table on the final day of the Championship season.

However, an appeal against the sanction will be heard on Friday.

Cook took over at the DW Stadium just 25 days after securing the League Two crown for Pompey on the final day of the 2016-17 season with a dramatic 6-1 Fratton Park win over Cheltenham.

He left the south coast with the highest win ratio (48.59 per cent) of any Blues manager since the 1950s – yet that has since been bettered by current Pompey boss Kenny Jackett (52.09).

Assistant manager Leam Richardson joined him at the Latics, along with other members of the Blues’ backroom staff.

Meanwhile, the Liverpudlian also recruited Gary Roberts and Kal Naismith from Pompey and also brought in Jamal Lowe for a fee north of £2.5m last summer.

In his time at the DW Stadium, Cook led Wigan to the League One title during his first season, before securing their Championship survival last year.

He’s already been linked with the managerial vacancies at both Bristol Rovers and Birmingham.

However, Brum appear close to appointing former Middlesborough and Nottingham Forest manager Aitor Karanka as Pep Clotet's replacement.

Wigan were placed in administration on July 1, despite a change of ownership less than a month before.

A preferred bidder was announced on July 22, the same day the Latics were relegated, but negotiations broke down because of the preferred bidder's ‘non-compliance in the first stage of exclusivity.’

Talks are under way with the next preferred bidder out of the five offers which were received.