For the first time in 43 years, Wrexham will be competing in the second tier of English football. Three years ago, when the Red Dragons were still a National League club, that seemed like an impossible goal, but Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have raised expectations at the Racecourse Ground to never-before-seen levels.
Wrexham ended up becoming National League champions in 2022-23 with a record haul of 111 points, and followed up that success by finishing second in both League Two and League One over the next two seasons to earn an incredible slice of history. No other club in the English ladder has ever achieved three successive promotions, and it may never happen again.
Reynolds, McElhenney – who recently changed his name to Rob Mac – and Wrexham head coach Phil Parkinson deserve immense credit for getting the club this far, and the beloved co-owners are optimistic that the unprecedented run will continue in the بطولة, too, with McElhenney recently saying on X: "If I’m being honest, I don’t even know what the word consolidation means."
But the reality is, reaching the الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز at the first time of asking would be nothing short of a miracle considering how big the jump from League One to the Championship is. Indeed, only five clubs have ever done it, the latest being Ipswich Town in 2023-24, but they have a far larger fanbase and greater financial weight than Wrexham. The considerable resources provided by Reynolds and McElhenney gave Wrexham an edge in the lower leagues, but their revenue does not compare to the bigger Championship sides.
"We’re going into one of the most competitive leagues in world football. One of the most supported leagues. The jump in salaries is mind-blowing. I don’t think people outside football quite realise," Parkinson has said in an attempt to give supporters a reality check.
All of that will have to be factored in when judging what should be considered a successful season for the Welsh outfit this time around. BALLGM has taken a look at what realistically lies in store as Wrexham face the most daunting challenge of their Hollywood era to date…
For the first time in 43 years, Wrexham will be competing in the second tier of English football. Three years ago, when the Red Dragons were still a National League club, that seemed like an impossible goal, but Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have raised expectations at the Racecourse Ground to never-before-seen levels.
Wrexham ended up becoming National League champions in 2022-23 with a record haul of 111 points, and followed up that success by finishing second in both League Two and League One over the next two seasons to earn an incredible slice of history. No other club in the English ladder has ever achieved three successive promotions, and it may never happen again.
Reynolds, McElhenney – who recently changed his name to Rob Mac – and Wrexham head coach Phil Parkinson deserve immense credit for getting the club this far, and the beloved co-owners are optimistic that the unprecedented run will continue in the Championship, too, with McElhenney recently saying on X: “If I’m being honest, I don’t even know what the word consolidation means.”
But the reality is, reaching the Premier League at the first time of asking would be nothing short of a miracle considering how big the jump from League One to the Championship is. Indeed, only five clubs have ever done it, the latest being Ipswich Town in 2023-24, but they have a far larger fanbase and greater financial weight than Wrexham. The considerable resources provided by Reynolds and McElhenney gave Wrexham an edge in the lower leagues, but their revenue does not compare to the bigger Championship sides.
“We’re going into one of the most competitive leagues in world football. One of the most supported leagues. The jump in salaries is mind-blowing. I don’t think people outside football quite realise,” Parkinson has said in an attempt to give supporters a reality check.
All of that will have to be factored in when judging what should be considered a successful season for the Welsh outfit this time around. بالجم has taken a look at what realistically lies in store as Wrexham face the most daunting challenge of their Hollywood era to date…
Wrexham supporters could hardly be more excited heading into their first second-tier campaign since 1982. They have been in dreamland over the last three years, and some will understandably believe that another promotion challenge is possible at the Racecourse Ground after a busy summer in the transfer market.
However, most fans acknowledge that this is the year that the ride may start to slow down. Indeed, Wrexham fan account @StopUsingWxM has declared on X that “I would be happy finishing 21st for the next 15 years”, while Matthew Jones, creator of the Racecourse Ramble Podcast, has declared he’d take “mid-table safety now” after predicting “we’re going to lose more often and have longer spells without a win than we’ve been used to”.
Jones’ رأي seems to reflect the consensus among the Wrexham faithful, with any kind of play-off push considered to be miracle territory. That was, though, also the feeling before their return to League One. Avoiding a relegation battle may be the main goal now, but caution will give way to fresh confidence if the Red Dragons get off to a good start in the Championship, because this is a squad that knows how to build momentum.
Reynolds and McElhenney have never made any secret of their desire to take Wrexham all the way to the Premier League, and they have given Parkinson a heavy transfer war chest to make it happen at the earliest possible date. The Red Dragons have made eight signings already this summer, breaking their transfer record twice, first with a £2.2 million move for Empoli left-back Liberato Cacace before splashing £5m on Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien.
Wrexham have spent another combined £2m on Plymouth striker Ryan Hardie و George Thomason from Bolton while securing free transfers for ex-Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward and former Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass son of Hull City legend Dean. But all of those deals were eclipsed in prestige by the arrivals of Conor Coady و Kieffer Moore over the past week.
Bringing in those two former Premier League stars has set Reynolds and McElhenney back another £4m, but their experience could prove invaluable. Convincing 10-cap England international Coady to leave Leicester and join the ambitious Racecourse project was a huge coup, and ex-Sheffield United frontman Moore is the ideal replacement for cult hero Steven Fletcher.
The Red Dragons may not be done yet, either. Talks over a blockbuster deal for ex-Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen have been confirmed, and it would be another huge statement of intent if they can get it over the line.
Fitting Eriksen into the wage bill shouldn’t be an issue because Parkinson has cleared a lot of deadwood. Seven players have been released, including Fletcher and Mark Howard while Will Boyle has been sold to Shrewsbury and Mansfield have snapped up Luke Bolton. Wrexham legend Paul Mullin has also moved on, securing a loan move to Wigan after falling down the attacking pecking order.
After spending the last two summers in the United States, Wrexham decided to instead embark on a pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand this time around, with the former country supposedly having the third-most followers of the club’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ docuseries on Disney+. Parkinson and his players received a very warm welcome Down Under, and they responded by giving the Aussies their money’s worth in their first friendly outing against the Melbourne Victory.
Wrexham romped to an impressive 3-0 win against the A-League side, with debutant Hardie among the goals. However, it was a performance that took a lot out of the Red Dragons, who looked lethargic and uninspired four days later against Sydney FC, going down 2-1 courtesy of a late winner from Joe Lacey in a match that was overshadowed by a worrying injury to star midfielder Ollie Rathbone.
Parkinson’s side then travelled to New Zealand to face the Wellington Phoenix, but slumped to a 1-0 defeat after a woeful error from No.1 goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo. That was a sad end to their tour, and Wrexham failed to bounce back in a same-day double header against Groningen in the Netherlands on August 2. The Red Dragons were beaten 1-0 and 3-1 by the Eredisvie outfit, with Parkinson left frustrated over their fragility at the back.
“We were too easy to score against. We have got to have that edge about us and have got to defend our goal better than we did today,” the manager told the club’s YouTube channel.
One win and four defeats were certainly not the best preparation for Wrexham’s Championship opener against Southampton, but Parkinson felt his team had a “decent” pre-season overall, as he added: “I think the minutes we have got in the players has been good. It has been consistent so I am pleased with that.”
Parkinson is an old-school coach who prioritises a solid defensive set-up and looks for the most direct route to goal. Indeed, no other team in League One hit more long passes than Wrexham per 90 minutes last season (57.93), with the majority of those coming from goalkeeper Okonkwo as he fed the target men upfront.
One of Ollie Palmer, Jay Rodriguez, or Fletcher would typically knock the ball down to first-choice No.9 Sam Smith, who joined the club from Reading in January, and he would then use his pace to wreak havoc behind enemy lines. It was an effective formula, but Parkinson will have to tweak it if Wrexham are to make a big impression in their first season back in the Championship.
The Red Dragons are formidable at the back, so a deviation from their preferred 3-5-2 formation may not be necessary, but they can’t afford to remain so one-dimensional going forward. Parkinson must work on proper patterns of play for Wrexham to compete with the Championship’s elite teams.
He is rightly considered one of the greatest managers in Wrexham’s history, and has also enjoyed success at Colchester, Bolton and Bradford, but only in the lower leagues. Across 49 Championship games in spells with Charlton and Hull, Parkinson only delivered nine wins, which was a consequence of the fact that neither team could hold onto possession for any significant length of time.
Parkinson’s credit at Wrexham could run out quickly if he makes the same mistake this season.
Rathbone was named Wrexham’s Player of the Year for 2024-25, which was a just reward for his immense displays in the middle of the park. The 28-year-old was the Red Dragons’ chief creator and also chipped in with eight League One goals, paying back every penny of his then-club record fee after joining from Rotherham last summer.
It comes as a huge blow to Wrexham, then, that Rathbone will Saturday’s trip to Southampton through injury. He was rushed to the hospital after damaging his ankle against Sydney, and has spent the last two weeks wearing a protective boot, with no word yet on when he will be ready to return to the pitch.
For the likes of Moore, Hardie, and Smith to thrive in the final third, Parkinson needs someone to step in who is equally adept at linking the play as Rathbone. Enter, Windass.
The attacking midfielder racked up 18 goal contributions for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship last season – a remarkable tally considering they only managed a 12th-placed finish – and he has all the attributes to be Wrexham’s new playmaker. Rathbone should complement Windass nicely in a slightly deeper role once he returns, too.
Windass has already given fans a tantalising glimpse of his ability, scoring in the second friendly game against Groningen, and the 31-year-old will likely become the most important member of Parkinson’s team as the season progresses.
Wrexham handed academy product Harry Ashfield a new contract in March, which ties the midfielder to the club until 2027, and he is now poised for a breakthrough campaign at the Racecourse Ground. The 19-year-old made five appearances in the Football League Trophy last season, scoring his first professional goal in the Red Dragons’ quarter-final win over Port Vale, and has also stamped his mark over the summer.
Ashfield caught the eye in Wrexham’s clash with the Wellington Phoenix and played 84 minutes in the 1-0 defeat to Groningen, showing no fear on the ball while also setting the tone with his infectious energy off it. It had been suggested that Ashfield would be sent out on loan, but he now looks set for a role with the senior squad in the Championship after proving to Parkinson that he is ready to bring real value.
“If we are able to find ourselves halfway through the season, in December, in that 3-4-5-6-7 position, people should be worried about us,” Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson recently told AFP when asked to predict how the club will fare in the Championship. “Because I believe if we make the play-offs with the type of mentality that we have, anything can happen in 90 minutes. I really would give ourselves a strong shot of giving it a run.”
However, Opta’s supercomputer is far less optimistic, giving Wrexham a 20.2 percent chance of falling straight back into League One. It would be a surprise if they were relegated after such a busy transfer window, but it feels like a more likely scenario than the top-six finish that Williamson is fantasising about.
Success for Wrexham this season will be found in the middle ground. If Parkinson can put them within sight of the top 10, that would be cause for more celebration in North Wales.
Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich should all be fighting for automatic promotion, with the boost of Premier League parachute payments, alongside the likes of كوفنتري, West Brom and Bristol City, while Tom Brady-backed Birmingham City, who finished a whopping 19 points ahead of Wrexham in League One last season, will also be aiming for at least the play-off places. Despite spending around £12m on new players, the Red Dragons cannot match those clubs for strength in depth.
It also seems to have gone under the radar that Wrexham have the second-oldest squad in the Championship with an average age of 27.7, putting them just behind Derby County’s 27.8. That is certainly not ideal as Wrexham enter what is widely regarded as the most physically intense division in English football.
McElhenney may not want to hear it, but “consolidation” has to be the target. All that being said, if Wrexham can show they belong at this level, then a proper push for the Premier League cannot be ruled out for 2026-27.
Player of the Season: Max Cleworth, who won his third Young Player of the Season award at Wrexham last term, will take another huge stride forward in his development in the Championship. At just 22 years old, Cleworth already looks like a future club captain, and the towering defender’s threat from set-pieces will be crucial to the Red Dragons in the tighter games once again.
Biggest disappointment: Okonkwo has been a great servant for Wrexham since joining from Arsenal, but the goalkeeper’s limitations will be exposed this term. The 23-year-old is prone to lapses in concentration that will be punished more frequently in the second tier, and unless he improves his distribution on his weaker left foot, new signing Ward could take his spot.
Best signing: Windass will bring goals, assists, and box office entertainment to the Racecourse Ground. Wrexham have brought in a true match-winner in the former رينجرز man, who could even emerge as a Championship Player of the Season contender if he gels with his new team-mates quickly.
Top scorer: Moore should get his fair share of goals leading the line for Wrexham, but he’s never been prolific. His main job will be to bring others in to play, and Windass stands to be the main beneficiary. The Englishman can find the net from all angles and often creates openings on his own, which is why he should be Wrexham’s main source of goals.
League position: Wrexham will end up in 11th place, fuelled by the gritty mentality Parkinson has instilled in the squad, but they will learn some tough lessons along the way because the top teams will keep them pinned in their own half.
