Rumor: Wigan Athletic's James McClean considering MLS move; New York Red Bulls in the mix

James McClean hasn't had a great deal of time to enjoy being voted Wigan Atheltic's Supporters' Player of the Year, since rumors suggesting the Ireland international is on his way to a new club have been steadily amplifying since Wigan's relegation to England's League One was confirmed at the end of April.

A winger with international (25 caps for Ireland to date) and Premier League experience (he was Sunderland's Young Player of the Year for 2011-12), McClean is not expected to join Wigan in League One next season. He has been consistently linked with a move away from the troubled club for most of the year: Newcastle was said to be eyeing McClean in April; Celtic, Derby and Hull were reportedly rebuffed in the January transfer window. Now he is said to be in discussion with MLS teams.

One of those MLS teams - at least according to the Irish Mirror and also mention by ESPN FC - is the New York Red Bulls.

McClean is a player who fits a need for RBNY: he can play an attacking role on the left wing, a position the team hasn't really filled and which just got a little bit less filled with the news of Sal Zizzo's injury. The Red Bulls could use a left winger, and McClean is a good one - as fans of USMNT might recall.

At 26, he is also young, arguably with some of his best years ahead of him, and presumably more than capable of bringing the elevated energy and fitness levels RBNY head coach Jesse Marsch wants from his squad.

But he is also under contract with Wigan for another season, so a transfer fee might be required. And some sources point out he has a reputation for missing the comforts of home: New York is a lot further away from Ireland than Sunderland.

But McClean would not be the first player to find it harder settle in Sunderland than MLS (Hi, Jozy!), so perhaps that is not a matter to give too much weight.

The rumor mill is linking McClean to as many teams as it can think of at the moment: Orlando City and Colorado Rapids are also mentioned as possible destinations in MLS.

But McClean is in the market for a new club, and RBNY is currently alleged to be in the mix. OaM will keep you updated as this rumor unfolds.