Current Latics boss Roberto Martinez is earning quite a reputation for his captures from overseas, and despite the addition of Victor Moses, the majority of his signings have come from overseas. Although it is hard to consider Gary Caldwell, James McCarthy, and James McArthur as true overseas players.
Speaking in the Sun newspaper, Whelan ıs quoted: "Our priority here must be to keep this club in the Premier League and we will do whatever it takes to achieve that.
"I would love to see a lot more English players in our side - and also in every other Premier League team. But the sad fact is that there is an alarming dearth of talent out there.
"It is not a question of whether players in the Championship and elsewhere represent good value. It is down to a lack of quality. That is why clubs like ourselves shop abroad."
This fact is not holding the Latics back as Lee Nicholls has been in the recent England under 19 squad and Martinez is building strongly the youth team set up at the club.
All this aligned with the number of youngsters in the first team and the future looks brıght for the Latics.