Wrexham Chase Deadline-Day Deals as Parkinson Plots Next Step in Remarkable Rise
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson says the club is working on several transfer options before the window shuts, but warns there are no guarantees any signings will come in.
The summer transfer window closes at 11 p.m. BST on Friday — the same day Wrexham host Birmingham City in their final fixture before the deadline. Parkinson told BBC Sport Wales that Wrexham know the players and positions they want, but face competition from other clubs in the division and around Europe for the same targets. Some of those players are wanted by rivals. Some belong to clubs reluctant to sell. Either way, Parkinson said, the deals are not straightforward (BBC Sport).
He was equally clear that Wrexham will not panic-buy. No signing for the sake of it, no splashing cash on a player who is not the right fit. The three arrivals already through the door this summer are players he rates, and he would like to add more quality if the market allows (BBC Sport).
One of those three is already making an impression. Danny Imray, a wing-back signed from Crystal Palace, scored Wrexham's equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Watford last weekend and later struck the post in a match where Parkinson's side were left frustrated by their failure to pick up a first win of the season. The draw followed an opening-day result that also ended level, leaving Wrexham with two points from two matches in their first season at English football's second tier since 1982.
The bigger picture explains why every signing matters. Since Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney hired Parkinson ahead of the 2021-22 season, Wrexham have climbed through the leagues on successive promotions, coming within one step of reaching the Premier League (AP News). Parkinson has made 73 signings in that time (The Athletic), and the transfer budget has been boosted by outside investment the owners helped secure (AP News).
The summer has also brought change. Paul Mullin — the striker who became the face of Wrexham's rise under Reynolds and McElhenney — departed by mutual consent in June after five years at the club (Reuters). The club also broke its transfer record to sign Nathan Broadhead last August (AP News).
Parkinson said he had a good chat with Rob and Ryan before the Watford game, along with CEO Mike Williamson and director Sean Harvey. He also praised his side's opening two performances of the campaign, which earned back-to-back draws despite the results not going all the way.
Help may come from within. Josh Windass, who missed both opening fixtures, was set to return for Friday's visit of Birmingham. Ben Sheaf, a key player in last season's play-off push, and Libby Cacace remained sidelined — but Parkinson said that if transfer targets do not materialise, players returning from the treatment table offer an alternative route to strengthening.
For fans of a club that was playing non-league football not long ago, the stakes are simple. Wrexham are back in the second tier for the first time in more than four decades, and the window to bolster the squad before it shuts is measured in hours, not weeks.
