Wrexham U-turn on Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's transfer tactic that's a real advantage

Wrexham have had to make a U-turn by enlisting their A-list owners to help seal crucial signings as competition in the transfer market heats up. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney sometimes had to get involved in persuading players to join when they first took over the Welsh club in February 2021 due to it being in the National League.

Their hands-on approach included charming key targets over the phone, a strategy that paid off with high-profile captures like Paul Mullin from Cambridge United in July 2021.

However, with Wrexham riding the wave of success with three back-to-back promotions taking them to the Championship, club director Shaun Harvey revealed in May that the actors' personal approaches were no longer necessary with players now lining up to join.

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Speaking on the fan podcast, the former EFL chief executive said: "Rob and Ryan do speak to all of them, but it's usually afterwards. Famously, they did speak with Paul Mullin to tell him that they were serious.

"When we were in the National League, they did need to become more involved to convince players that this wasn't just a scam. They don't need to get on a telephone call now to tell players that we're serious.

"They can see that for themselves. The agents ring us now so we don't need to deploy them as much because of that."

But fast forward three months, and with manager Phil Parkinson gearing up to build a squad fit for the second tier, he's revealed the co-owners have already had to reach out to at least one potential summer signing.

Speaking to New Zealand news outlet Stuff, he said: "We're looking to sign a player and we've got a lot of competition to get the signature. I spoke to Rob and Ryan about it so they put a call in to the player as well, explained the back story and why we wanted them."

While the target's identity remains under wraps, Wrexham have been linked with several high-profile stars this summer. They include Leicester legend Jamie Vardy, Fulham skipper Tom Cairney, and former West Ham pair Aaron Cresswell and Danny Ings.

So far, Parkinson has welcomed two new faces during the current transfer window. Plymouth striker Ryan Hardie was the first to join on June 16, while Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward signed on Tuesday.

Parkinson's plea for Reynolds and McElhenney's involvement comes after Wrexham were warned that replicating their recent triumphs next season will be a tall order. The cautionary note was struck by football finance guru Kieran Maguire parly due to the presence of numerous billionaire club owners in the Championship.

Speaking on the Second Tier podcast, Maguire said: "I think the big issue for them is that you are against some pretty senior citizens. You're up against clubs where the owners have been quite happy to put in £300,000 to £400,000 a week like Steve Gibson at Middlesbrough.

"Even the likes of Preston and Milwall, they've been losing £1m a month. All of a sudden it becomes a completely different beast. Yes, they will be connected with some big names, but at the same time they're going to find it not as easy."

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