Wigan Athletic are confident of landing Honduras defender Johnny Palacios.

The Manchester Evening News says John Benson, the Wigan football director, watched the 22-year-old defender play for Honduras in Wednesday's 2-1 friendly defeat against Peru in Miami before meeting the player's representatives.

However, Steve Bruce, the ex-Wigan boss now in charge at Sunderland, also dispatched scouts to check out Palacios - brother of former Latics star Wilson.