With star winger Charles N'Zogbia expected to leave the DW Stadium this summer, the England international is seen as the ideal replacement and could be available for as little as ?3m.
Whelan said of the 29-year-old: "It's true that we are interested in Shaun Wright-Phillips and I am sure that he would love it at Wigan because in Roberto Martinez we have a great manager.
"But am I confident we can get him? Well confidence is something that you can't have at this time of the year.
"We would certainly like him to come to Wigan but we don't know what he wants in terms of wages. There is a long way to go, but Roberto does fancy bringing him to Wigan."
Bolton are also thought to be in the hunt for the former Chelsea star's signature.
Source: Team Talk
Source: Team Talk