Bristol City have signed Sam Tickle from Wigan Athletic on a four-year deal, adding a goalkeeper who has already built up 158 senior appearances and 54 clean sheets. The fee was undisclosed, so the move lands as both a clear upgrade in experience and a deal with no public price attached.
Sam Tickle and Bristol City
Tickle made 46 appearances for Wigan Athletic in League One last season and has now switched after his senior debut in 2021. He arrives as Bristol City’s first announced signing since Michael Skubala was appointed head coach, making the transfer the first squad move of the new era.
Skubala made the club’s view of the deal clear: “We're delighted to bring in a player of such high quality, who already has a lot of experience for a goalkeeper of his age.” That is the central sporting case for the signing. Bristol City are not waiting on a long adaptation project; they are bringing in a 24-year-old who has already handled a heavy workload for Wigan Athletic and kept 54 clean sheets along the way.
Michael Skubala's first move
The timing matters because this is the first addition under Skubala, and it comes before pre-season testing. He said, “We're looking forward to him joining the squad tomorrow for pre-season testing.” That puts Tickle straight into the early work of the summer rather than leaving him to settle later in the window.
For Bristol City, the obvious detail is the length of the commitment. A four-year deal ties the club to a goalkeeper with a proven record at senior level, while the undisclosed fee leaves the full financial shape of the transfer hidden from view. That is the one piece supporters cannot measure yet, even with the player profile already laid out.
For Tickle, the move is a step up in responsibility after 158 games for Wigan Athletic and a season that featured 46 League One outings. The next practical step is simple: he joins the squad tomorrow for pre-season testing, and Bristol City move into the summer with their first new signing already through the door.
