Wrexham’s Hollywood owners have been warned against going for broke in January to achieve their Premier League dream.
The Red Dragons, owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, have gradually adjusted to life in the Championship this season following a challenging start to their campaign.
The Welsh club spent £33million on new players during the summer after registering their third consecutive promotion from League One. Wrexham chiefs have already confirmed manager Phil Parkinson will be well-backed again in the January transfer window as he looks to bolster his squad further.
However, a football finance expert has cautioned the club over splashing out too much in case they breach EFL Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR). Dr. Dan Plumley, a senior lecturer in sport business management at Sheffield Hallam University, gave his advice after predicting Wrexham will break their transfer record yet again in the new year.
Speaking to Mirror Football, he said: “Wrexham have a bit of time on their side in terms of PSR, having come through and not been in the Championship, but my view is that you also can’t go all in. We’ve seen plenty of clubs try and gamble against PSR in the Championship and it go the other way.
“There’s a sensible approach to apply there. A lot of it also depends on where you are in the table at that point in time. It’s a tight Championship this season, but the ultimate goal for me was always [for Wrexham] to stay up.
“Whether the owners want to talk about it or not, it’s a tough league. I’d expect them to keep spending in time over the next two or three years but I wouldn’t expect a huge amount of spending in January.”
Dr. Plumley added: “They’re in a position to break their own record every single time. That’s the reality just because of where they’ve come from, the ownership structure and where they want to get to. But in the wider market, I wouldn’t expect them to be spending huge amounts.”
Nathan Broadhead is Wrexham’s current record signing after joining from Ipswich for £7.5m(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Wrexham’s current record transfer fee is the £7.5m they spent on Ipswich forward Nathan Broadhead back in August. That figure could reportedly rise to as much as £10m once add-ons are included.
The club’s highest outlay before the summer window was the £2m they paid to Reading for striker Sam Smith in January this year. Wrexham’s chief executive, Michael Williamson, has outlined the approach the club will take in the upcoming window after confirming Parkinson will have money to use.
Speaking in November, he told The Leader: “January windows are always challenging just because you don’t know what the market is going to be. You don’t know what other clubs are looking at where sometimes it has to do with loans as well.
“It’s more of an opportunistic market. You look at your areas within the squad that you could use some additional support, whether it’s because of injuries or if it’s because of depth and you realise you might want an added piece to the squad. Then it’s about whether or not that added piece is available or not.
“In the summer market, there’s a lot more availability in the global market, not just in the UK, to be able to identify players to build and support the squad that you have.”
Williamson added: “I think for us, when you bring a player in in January, you’re bringing them in hoping that they have an impact on your current season, but you’re also thinking about will they be ready for the next season.
“That’s the type of approach that you would take in January – who can help us in the Championship but also help us for when we arrive to the Premier League?”
