Oldham Athletic have signed midfielder Kai Payne from Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan.

The 21-year-old returns to Boundary Park for a third spell with the club. He made 34 appearances in all competitions for Latics last season, scoring twice.

Payne came through the Wigan academy and gained senior experience with Mossley before his first move to Oldham. His first loan spell brought five appearances during his month's loan in 2024/25, including the FA Cup First Round win away at Tranmere.

After rejoining the club, Payne said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be back at Oldham. It It's a place that really feels like home and I didn't need much convincing to come back for another season. I really enjoyed last year, learned so much and felt I developed as both a player and a person."

He added: "We made great progress as a team last season and the aim is to kick on once again. Hopefully we can build on last season and have another successful year together."

Manager Micky Mellon welcomed Payne back, saying: "Kai has been excellent for us in every spell here and we're delighted to have him back. He's a player who understands what we're about, knows the standards we expect and fits perfectly into the way we want to play."

Mellon continued: "He's still a young player with huge potential, but he's already shown the quality and consistency needed to make an impact at this level. His attitude is first-class, he works incredibly hard and we're looking forward to seeing him continue his development in an Oldham shirt."