Dave Whelan, the Wigan Athletic chairman, has vowed to give Steve Bruce his unequivocal backing in the transfer market this summer should the club avoid relegation.

Wigan were in the bottom three in the Barclays Premier League when Bruce took charge at the JJB Stadium in November, but with four games remaining, the former Birmingham City manager has steered the club to the brink of safety and he feels that one more win will be enough to safeguard their place.

Whelan believes that Wigan would have been relegated had he kept faith with Chris Hutchings, who was sacked after 12 league games in charge, but while he intends to sit down with Bruce at the end of the season and reassess the situation, the chairman has indicated that he is prepared to provide the funds with which to overhaul the squad.

“He [Bruce] has got to get his squad how he wants it,” Whelan said. “I know it's not the squad he wants, it's the squad he has inherited. I have got to look after him and see what he wants and if we stay up, which it looks like we can now, then I have got to support him. I think undoubtedly there will be a big shake-up [in the summer]. I want to get us in the middle of the league.”

Bruce feels that Wigan must compete for players in the £6-7million bracket if they are serious about wanting to establish themselves as a mid-table club.

Whelan has been disappointed by Marlon King's contribution since his £5million move from Watford in January - “He hasn't really got there yet,” the chairman said - and believes that another striker is a necessity, although his main concern is the club's poor attendances.

Wigan's ticket prices are among the lowest in the league, but still supporters choose to stay away. “I have dropped [the prices of] everything and they still don't come - it's really disappointing,” he said.