Wrexham manager makes telling transfer admission with Ryan Reynolds' backing

24 December 2023 , 20:08

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Phil Parkinson is open to adding to the Wrexham squad this winter (Image: PA)

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has acknowledged that the club are always looking to strengthen in the transfer market with the January window days away.

Parkinson, 56, has overhauled the Wrexham squad since taking charge in the summer of 2021, resulting in promotion from the National League as champions last season. They have had the backing of Hollywood millions from Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney helping them pull off some big additions.

Now in League Two, the club sits third over Christmas, good enough to occupy the final automatic promotion place and find themselves only six points behind table-toppers Stockport County. However, fourth-placed Mansfield Town are only one point behind the Welsh club and have a game in hand.

Winning that match, which will take place in the New Year against either Forest Green Rovers or Milton Keynes Dons, would put them up to second and push Wrexham down into the playoff places.

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Due to the recent drop in form from Crewe Alexandra and Notts County, there is a five-point gap between fourth and fifth in League Two. With a four-team shoot-out for the three automatic promotion places forming, Wrexham making further additions could prove crucial to ensuring they are not the odd team out.

Unlike last season, the club can only sign players midseason in January. Whereas, while in the National League, Wrexham went early to add Andy Cannon from Hull City before leaving it as late as February before bringing in Ryan Barnett from Solihull Moors.

But they are not strangers to a January transfer. Last January, Eoghan O'Connell arrived on deadline day from Charlton Athletic.

Wrexham manager makes telling transfer admission with Ryan Reynolds' backing

Ryan Reynolds knows first-hand how huge a signing Eoghan O'Connell was last transfer deadline day (Getty Images)

Parkinson has not ruled out a repeat of similar activity in the winter window. "I don't want to make any predictions for January - in terms of incoming players," he told The Leader.

"We have got a strong squad, but we are always looking. As our supporters know, we are always striving to improve, and we are assessing a lot of situations at the moment, but we are keeping our cards close to our chest."

The window opens at midnight on New Year's Day before closing at 11pm on January 31. Parkinson continued: "We are just assessing the squad as we go along.

"We have got players coming back from injury, and we have got other players who haven't even been in the 22-man squad, so once January 1 kicks in, we can then bring those players back into the squad, because the 22-man squad rule doesn't count through January.

"We are just seeing how (Steven Fletcher) is (after undergoing knee surgery), seeing how (Ryan Barnett) looks coming back (from knee ligament damage), and just looking at various options for January. I am looking forward to welcoming players back into the group."

While Barnett did not make the matchday squad for the 2-0 win over Newport County, Fletcher did come on as a second-half substitute. The former Premier League striker had not played since making a last-minute appearance at Notts County in late October.