Why Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney may have to pay players to leave Wrexham before start of Championship season – explained

• Meteoric rise enjoyed by the Red Dragons
• Are now working with a bloated squad
• Movement expected before next deadline

A meteoric rise for the Red Dragons has seen them enjoy a historic run of three successive promotions. Rapid progress has been made on and off the field, meaning that the Welsh outfit are now a Championship club.

Regular forays into the transfer market have been made in order to ensure that Phil Parkinson has a squad at his disposal that can be competitive across various levels of the EFL. Big money has been invested, with the record books being rewritten.

Wrexham do, however, now have a rather bloated squad. They can only register 25 players (excluding those under the age of 21) for the 2025-26 campaign. As things stand, the Red Dragons have 30 senior stars on their books.

They have eight strikers, the same number of central midfielders – after bringing in the likes of Ryan Hardie, Josh Windass and Lewis O’Brien – along with four left wing-backs. The Athletic reports that “some on the fringes may have to be paid to leave”. Others may “strike deals on transfer fees to allow the purchasing club to offer wages more on a par with what Wrexham pay”.

Movement out of SToK Racecourse is essential as it is claimed that Wrexham remain in the market for at least two more “key additions”, with their Hollywood co-owners needing to get creative when it comes to assembling a squad that can push towards the Premier League.