MARLON KING completed his move away from Vicarage Road today, joining Wigan Athletic on a three-and-half-year contract.

Wigan boss Steve Bruce tried to sign King in the summer when in charge of Birmingham, but he finally got his man this afternoon after Watford accepted a bid of £3m rising to £4m.

King would ideally have liked to have joined Fulham and remained in the south east of England, but his chances of remaining a Premiership player next season appear to have increased by joining the Latics.

"I just spoke to Steve Bruce and he made me feel very welcome," said King.

"You look at the Wigan team and they have got a good chance of survival, and there is not much more to say than that."

Added the 27-year-old: "I had been speaking to Fulham for the last week-and-a-half and for whatever reason it didn't happen. Steve Bruce made it clear he wanted me and I'm a Wigan player now."

King's replacement, Collins John, put the finishing touches to his loan move to Vicarage Road today and will join the Hornets on a permanent basis in the summer if they win promotion.

Armed with the proceeds from the sale of King, Aidy Boothroyd will step up his bid to land a deep-lying central midfielder and a centre-half before the window closes.