Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has dropped a hint over the clubs’ transfer plans ahead of this summer – it may concern some supporters.
Wrexham are poised to bolster their squad this summer following promotion to League One.
Phil Parkinson has already said that the jump to the third tier will be their biggest yet and he will be armed with the funds to improve his squad.
The Reds have already been linked with capturing Arthur Okonkwo permanently from Arsenal, with executive director Humphrey Ker ‘desperate’ to get a deal done. Meanwhile, we exclusively revealed that Wrexham have shown an interest in Notts County goal machine Macaulay Langstaff.
With links to several players already circling, it promises to be a busy summer for the Welsh side, though there is one concern that Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds must address.
Rob McElhenney drops hint over Wrexham transfer plans
Wrexham’s recruitment since the Hollywood duo arrived has mainly been catered towards signing players who can help them achieve instant success.
Signings such as Paul Mullin, James McClean and Elliot Lee have helped the Reds win promotion to the third tier, but there are concerns long-term.
Parkinson’s squad currently has 10 players who are aged 30 or above while four more celebrate their 30th birthday this year.
Although several of their experienced players, including Luke Young, Ben Tozer, Callum McFadzean, Mark Howard and Jordan Tunnicliffe could depart this summer, there doesn’t appear to be an appetite to replace the old guard with young talent.
McElhenney’s latest comments instead suggest he wants to continue signing players who can help Wrexham achieve instant success, as opposed to planning for the long term.
Speaking on the ESPN FC YouTube channel, the 47-year-old said: “I want to win right now, I don’t care about five years from now and yes, you’re going to draft this offensive line who is going to be the cornerstone of this team. But I don’t care, I want to win right now”.
Wrexham need to invest in younger talent
Wrexham’s approach to flying up the divisions is admirable and their ability to attract ex-Premier League players Steven Fletcher and McClean showed their ambition to escape League Two.
McElhenney’s desire to win instantly points towards them investing in older players once more, and while that is a short-term fix to their problems, long-term sustainability is thrown out the window.
Reynolds even admitted he bought Wrexham to show you can run a football club sustainably, but surely their business in the transfer window – at least last season – contradicts that notion.
The club would be better off investing in young talent, of a similar mould to highly-rated defender Max Cleworth, who they can develop over time.
Cleworth is the current Wrexham player with the highest resale value, but aside from that, there aren’t many others whom the Hollywood duo could make significant money by selling.
This is surely a concern for the club, especially if they have ambitions of reaching the Premier League.
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