What to expect from Wrexham’s most important transfer window under Reynolds and McElhenney so far

Forty-six days have now elapsed since Wrexham’s season ended but the afterglow of promotion back to the Football League continues.

A record-breaking points tally of 111, plus the memories of a pulsating run-in whose appetite for drama was perhaps best personified by ‘that’ victory over title rivals Notts County, can do that to a football club.

Nevertheless, the focus of the Racecourse hierarchy is firmly on making sure the return to the EFL after 15 years away is only the start.

Back-to-back promotions, a feat never achieved by Wrexham since becoming a Football League club in 1921, must be the target for a campaign that has already seen Phil Parkinson’s side installed by the bookmakers as overwhelming favourites to win the League Two title.

Buoyed by new multi-million sponsorship deals involving United Airlines and Stok Cold Brew Coffee that will bring increased spending power even under the EFL’s financial fair play regulations, Wrexham’s challenge in a transfer window that opens today (Wednesday) is to justify that faith from the bookies.

The Athletic looks ahead to what supporters can expect between now and the closing of the window at 11pm UK time (6pm, EST) on September 1.

Last three summer windows activity

Wrexham’s recent history can effectively be divided into two periods: what happened before their February 2021 takeover and the events since.

In the summer of 2020, then-manager Dean Keates was operating under a budget set by the Supporters Trust, who had stepped in to save the club from oblivion nine years earlier. Money was tight ahead of a season that would be played under the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it largely showed in their recruitment.

Fast forward 12 months to Phil Parkinson’s first window and the quality of signing rose markedly on the back of Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney taking charge. League One and League Two, English football’s third and fourth divisions, became the fifth-tier club’s market, as Paul Mullin, fresh from shooting Cambridge United to promotion from League Two with 32 goals, joined on a free transfer, along with Cheltenham Town’s Ben Tozer, Aaron Hayden of Carlisle United and Lincoln City’s James Jones.

The rebuilding continued in the January, with Ollie Palmer signing from AFC Wimbledon for a club record £300,000. Parkinson then used his second summer window to bring the required strength in depth to truly compete at the top of the National League, via Elliot Lee from Luton Town of the Championship (who had just lost in the play-offs and have now won promotion to the Premier League by that same route), Anthony Forde of Oxford United and Crawley Town’s Jordan Tunnicliffe.

Is there money to spend this summer?

Oh yes. The new lucrative sponsorship deals mean disappointment for those supporters of rival clubs hoping the EFL’s financial fair play — Salary Cost Management Protocol, to give its official title — would rein in Wrexham’s potential spending.

Under the rules, League Two clubs can pay out no more than 55 per cent of their annual turnover on player expenditure. Thanks to the increased revenue from sponsors United, Stok and beverage company Betty Buzz, Wrexham’s income is expected to be highest in the fourth tier — hence the increased financial clout compared to the other 23 clubs.

To put this into context, Bradford City are comfortably the best-supported club in that division, with average home crowds of almost 18,000 last season.

Their annual wage bill for their last available accounts (2021-22) was £2.9million on a £7.3million turnover.

Wrexham opted not to include a full profit and loss breakdown in their own figures for the same period, so a definitive wage bill figure is unavailable, but their ‘football costs’ — effectively all football expenses, ranging from player and staff salaries through to travel costs for away matches — for the 12 months to June 30 last year were listed as £3.94million.

Estimates put the wage bill at £2.5million. And it will have risen significantly last season with their number of signings reaching double figures, plus new contracts for the likes of Mullin and captain Luke Young.

Who makes the key decisions over signings?

Parkinson.

Recruitment is very much a team effort, with Les Reed, a former Football Association technical director and now advisor to the board, assistant manager Steve Parkin and the rest of the coaching staff all having an input. The manager also works closely with Chris Johnson, a hugely respected scout he first linked up with at Bolton Wanderers. But the final verdict will always belong to Parkinson, who insists on meeting every prospective signing in person to try to ensure their character will be a good fit for the dressing room.

Once that decision is made, negotiations over contracts and transfer fees are left to Shaun Harvey, the former EFL chief executive who has been a key figure for the club in the Reynolds and McElhenney era.

Wrexham’s preparations for 2023-24 began almost as soon as promotion was sealed in late April, with the first meeting between Parkinson and Harvey taking place on the Friday morning before Wrexham flew south to Torquay United for their final match of the season the following day.

It was an outline discussion that included a likely budget for next season, rather than getting down to specific targets, but still a key marker in formulating a plan.

Which positions are the priority?

With recruitment for the previous three windows under Parkinson having largely been focused on raiding Leagues One and Two, Wrexham look in good nick for fourth-tier battle already.

This much is clear from the below squad graphic, which first appeared in The Athletic in mid-April as part of our analysis as to whether the north Wales side were League Two-ready or not.

Since then, former England international Ben Foster’s decision to delay his second retirement for another 12 months has ensured there will be a very experienced pool of goalkeepers next season as the 40-year-old joins Rob Lainton and Mark Howard, whose 12-month contract extension was automatically triggered by the club’s promotion.

Further additions are likely to revolve around strengthening at left wing-back, in central midfield and possibly at centre-back. As in recent windows, the loans market is not one Wrexham are expected to turn to in any meaningful way, with the emphasis instead on permanent additions capable of helping take the club to the next level.

It’s a case of quality over quantity this summer.

Very few plausible targets seem to have emerged. Is there concern within the club that more progress has not been made?

Not at all. The plan has always been to bring in three or four new faces but there is also a recognition that, by League Two standards, this is already a very strong squad. So much so that key club figures are relaxed at the prospect of the new season starting on the first weekend in August with no further additions.

That’s not to say Wrexham aren’t pushing hard for the players they do want. Parkinson has already met several prospective signings to explain his thinking and assess their characters. But patience may well be required, especially as most of those major targets are very much still wanted by their respective clubs. This means activity may only come late in the window.

Wrexham prefer to offer three-year contracts, meaning any signings will be made with the expectation of being able to step up with the club to League One — and possibly further.

Who could be heading out?

Tom O’Connor has already been linked with a possible move to the Championship, but the club report no serious interest at this stage in any of their key players.

That’s not to say there won’t be a couple heading to the exit if the right replacements can be found. But, as it stands, Wrexham are a hard club to leave. Parkinson must hope his main targets prove equally drawn to a project that shows no signs of slowing down.

(Top photo: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)