The Red Dragons have the most important off-season since their Hollywood takeover coming up after sealing a spot in League One for 2024-25
Another chapter in Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Wrexham ownership story drew to a close on Saturday, as Phil Parkinson's side played out a 2-1 win over League Two champions Stockport County. It was a fittingly splendid end to what has been a historic season for the Red Dragons.
After clinching the National League title in spectacular fashion last year, Wrexham secured a second-straight promotion this time out, recovering from a somewhat shaky start to finish in one of the three automatic promotion spots. Most of the promotion partying was done following their victory over Forest Green Rovers a few weeks back, but there will still be plenty of celebrations to follow in the coming days. Who knows, perhaps the owners will even spring for another trip to Las Vegas?
After the festivities finally subside, however, it will be time to refocus as Parkinson and Co again prepare for a season playing at a higher level. And make no mistake, this step up in quality will be even more stark than it was last campaign.
Getty ImagesDifferent kettle of fish entirely
Just a brief peruse of some of the teams Wrexham are set to face off against this coming season reveals the magnitude of their task. Depending on how the League One play-offs and Championship relegation pictures play out, Wrexham could have to travel to the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic, Charlton Athletic, Reading, Huddersfield Town Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers next season – all of whom have tasted Premier League football in the relatively-recent past.
It's not just their reputations that are intimidating, either. Nathan Jones, Garry Monk and Ruben Selles all have top-flight managerial experience under their belts, while the quality of the players they will be pitting themselves against will also increase significantly.
AdvertisementGettyAble to compete financially
What should give Wrexham hope, however, is that they should still be able to compete financially with some of the division's big boys. Attendance-wise, they should still be in the top three in League One, particularly with the expanded Kop hopefully opening partway through the new campaign.
It's not just their ability to put bums on seats that's notable either. Compared to the rest of League One, Wrexham are a commercial giant. Thanks to the unrivalled pulling power of their Hollywood owners, the club have managed to attract brands with a truly global footprint such as Gatorade, American Airlines and TikTok.
To contrast, Bolton and Cheltenham's shirts carried the name of UK plumbing firms this season; Portsmouth, Lincoln and Northampton were all sponsored by their local universities; Wycombe were supported by a window-fitting service.
This is reflected in the accounts too, with Wrexham generating in excess of £20 million ($25m) in revenue during the 2023-24 season, and that will surely only increase now that there's even more eyes on them in the third tier.
GettyVital transfer window
Wrexham will need to flex this financial muscle in the summer transfer window, too. As well as some of Parkinson's trusted lieutenants have done, they will need further reinforcements if they wish to be competitive in League One.
“How can we go? I think League One is a bigger jump than going from National League to League Two, so we’ve got a big test in this summer, we really have," the Wrexham boss said recently. "We’ve got to recruit well, we’ve got to maintain the spirit we’ve built over the last two years, but whilst always being honest – you’ve got to improve each time you go up, so that’s the challenge for us and it’s one I’m really excited about taking on.”
Finding the perfect foil for star man Paul Mullin – whose record this season suggests he'll be able to adapt to the third tier – will be a priority. Ollie Palmer, Steven Fletcher and Sam Dalby all contributed to the promotion bid, but having another bona-fide starting striker who can either facilitate Parkinson's main man or reach the 15-goal mark themselves would be a huge asset.
There will also be question marks over various players' ability to make the step up to League One. Jacob Mendy is a huge fan favourite, and has even earned international recognition during his time at the club, but this will be his biggest challenge yet. Young defender Max Cleworth, wideman Ryan Barnett and skipper Luke Young have similarly never tested themselves regularly at this level.
GettyOut of contract players
Meanwhile, there are also decisions to make on several out-of-contract players. Three centre-backs: Ben Tozer, Jordan Tunnicliffe and Aaron Hayden, who made over 40 combined League Two appearances this season, are all set to become free agents on June 30. It's not yet clear if the club will be offering the trio extensions, but it's difficult to see them keeping all three. This makes finding defensive reinforcements absolutely vital this summer.
Skipper Young may be off too, with the midfielder seemingly hinting his Wrexham career was coming to an end back in March. "Being here for so long, whatever happens, this club will always have a place in my heart. Whether I am here next season, or the season after or not, I’ll always look for the results," he told.