Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson will be pleased with how well the club has adapted to League One football this season. At the time of writing, they are currently in third place, just two points behind leaders Birmingham City.
A third successive promotion would be incredible for the club – owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – although this climb up the football pyramid may have been expected given the money that has been poured into the game.
Despite this, Parkinson will use the January transfer window to agree some new signings, while potentially moving players who are not currently guaranteed playing time or have only a few months left on their contracts.
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Five of the previous January signings were made by Wrexham |
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|---|---|---|
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Player |
Club signed from |
Year |
|
Luke McNicholas |
Sligo Rovers |
in 2024 |
|
Jack Marriott |
Fleetwood Town |
in 2024 |
|
Luke Bolton |
Salford |
in 2024 |
|
Andy Cannon |
Hull City |
in 2023 |
|
Eoghan O’Connell |
Charlton Athletic |
in 2023 |
There is still plenty of time left for the club to make the necessary changes needed for their takeover First league according to Priority and we’ll look at the potential dos and don’ts that could happen in Wrexham this month…
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Potential Wrexham arrivals
Patrick Bamford (Leeds United)
A few seasons ago, Patrick Bamford shined in the Premier League for Leeds United, scoring 17 goals for a club in the first division during the 2020/21 campaign.
Since then, he has not been very satisfied with those performances, failing to score more than ten goals in one season. He endured his fair share of injury problems over the previous three seasons, missing a 50 games in total for your club.
Towards the end of 2024. reporter Ben Jacobs reported that Wrexham were showing interest in a move for Bamford, as the club sought to sign a proven Championship striker to help them progress.
There is no doubt that the Englishman would be an ideal signing, but the move seems a bit unrealistic. The 31-year-old is currently earning £70k a week in Leeds, according to Capology. Considering he was taking home the biggest income in Wrexham £7.2k per week from last season, Parkinson would have to break his previous salary structure in order to sign a contract with the Englishman who once played for the national team.
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Ryan Hardie (Plymouth Argyle)
Another Championship centre-forward who is on Parkinson’s radar is Ryan Hardie, who plays for Plymouth Argyle.
According to the World Football League, A League One side could be set up face a battle with Huddersfield Town for the Scot, who has shone during his time in the South West.
The 27-year-old has scored 64 goals for the club since joining in 2020, including 12 in the second division last season. If around £2m is offered, Wrexham could be the winner.
He has struggled in the league this season, scoring just one goal from the penalty spot, but given his Ligue 1 record – 49 goals in 131 games – he may be the player to push the club into the top two.
Cauley Woodrow (Luton Town)
Links with Championship strikers continue, this time with Luton Town’s Cauley Woodrow. The Hatters striker has associated with moving to Wrexham by Football Insider, who believe Parkinson is showing an interest in the player.
30 year old featured 24 times in the Premier League for Luton after an improbable promotion to the top flight, although he only scored once in the entire campaign.
With no goals this term, Woodrow has struggled and this could lead to Wrexham making a move to bring him down to League Three this month.
The Hatters are only beginning to move away from the Championship relegation zone and that could potentially affect whether they are willing to sell the striker to Parkinson’s side this month, although the recent departure of Rob Edwards could throw another spanner in the works.
If Wrexham can get a deal done, it could be tricky business, especially if he can return to the form he showed during his time at Barnsley, where scored 53 goals in all competitions.
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Potential departures from Wrexham
Steven Fletcher
Steven Fletcher joined the club ahead of the 2023/24 season, moving on achieve eight times while Wrexham finished second in League Two.
The Scot has scored five goals so far this term, with four coming in just six games over the festive period to propel his side to third in the league.
With this record, why would Parkinson want to lose it? Firstly, he is 37 and will be 38 by the start of the 2025/26 campaign. Second, his contract expires this summer.
The manager has made it clear he wants to bring in a Championship-level striker this month, and if successful it could spell the end of the road for Fletcher, who might have struggled had Wrexham been promoted to League Two.
Much will depend on whether Parkinson can sign the players he wants before the transfer window closes. If he does, moving Fletcher for a fee might be the best course of action.
James Jones
According to The Athletic, nine players in Wrexham They are expected to leave as their contracts expire in six months, with one name on the list being James Jones.
The 28-year-old hasn’t had a big impact on the field this season, performing only six times for the club as injuries plagued what could be his last season in Wales.
That appears to be surplus to requirements, so Parkinson could put Jones up for sale this month to secure a fee for the midfielder, freeing up space in his first team in the process.
Jacob Mendy
Another name on The Athletic’s list is Jacob Mendy, who will be desperate to move away from the club to kick-start his career.
After the season in which made 36 appearances for Wrexham, scoring twice and grabbing five assists, the left-back has played just four League One games this term.
At 28, the Gambia international is surely at the peak of his career, and with his contract also set to expire this summer, Parkinson would surely rather receive a fee for Mendy this month than lose him for nothing when the season ends.
