No I haven’t either.  As I type, I can’t even remember the lad’s name properly, it calls to mind Portuguese managers, expensive wool or bright red cherries in 1970s cocktails, and it begins with M, ends in O and is exotic sounding.  Of course I’ll go away and check before I write the rest of the article, but for now I just wanted to say, that I haven’t heard of him before and frankly I don’t care (plus it gave me a catchy headline, so shhhh).

I don’t care that I’ve never heard of him, that after making a splash in South America he was a bit of a flop in his first attempt at European football, or that he plays international football away from one of the marquee sides.  Ok Shaktar aren’t exactly shy at throwing money around and you might suspect they have a “get a load in, one of them will prove decent” approach to foreign transfers, but if you’re looking for precedents then I suggest you look to Luis Antonio Valencia rather than Julius Aghahowa.

Aghahowa actually enjoyed success in the Ukraine, which is presumably why Shaktar have taken him back.  Valencia on the other hand came over to Villarreal only to end up on loan to a lower division side.  It was Valencia that then became one, if not the, best attacking talent we’ve seen in a Latics shirt.  So in the spirit of postivity and a more accurate comparison, let’s welcome Marcelo Moreno Martins to Wigan.

Forget the £9m disappointment talk, forget the dry spell since arriving in the Ukraine and revel in a striker with a genuine 1 in 2 goal ratio.  Consider a player that scores a range of goals and looks strong in the air.  Ones that actually looks like he’ll bring some South American flair, or at one that looks a bit like Gabriela Batistuta.

I read this afternoon, that Steve Bruce’s deadline day deal (bringing in Benjani) was a better deal than Martinez’s, reference was made to Moses rather than Moreno but from the fans’ perspective would you prefer the anticipation and excitement of wondering if we’ve uncovered another rough diamond, or the sure fire knowledge that Benjani will flatter to deceive (although he’s almost guaranteed to score against us)?

Yes experience is good, but of what exactly?  At the end of the day, all that matters is whether any of them score goals and there’s no point worrying about that before our signings have even tried.  So any road, welcome Marcelo, or Martin, or Moreno from one, if not 12,000 fans that are quite looking forward to giving you the chance to prove yourself.  I hope that for all our sakes Mr Whelan is shelling out that £6m for your permanent deal in the summer.