30 December 2023 , 17:00
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Wrexham AFC co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney might have to make some tough decisions in the summer transfer window. As it stands, more than a dozen players will be out of a contract and can leave in the summer, if they choose to do so.
Among those whose contract will run out is goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo. The 22-year-old is on loan for the season from Arsenal after Ben Foster retired and recently returned to action after suffering a jaw injury in late November.
Okonkwo has 13 appearances with Wrexham, conceding 10 goals with seven clean sheets. As it stands, Okonkwo is the player Reynolds and McElhenney will have to keep the closest eye on as he is expected to be worth £2million, per transfermarkt.
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Along with Okonkwo, goalkeepers Mark Howard and Rob Lainton's contracts also will be up at the end of June. Midfielder James McClean is a player to monitor as transfermarkt has him listed at £500,000. Luke Young is the other midfielder the Welsh side will have to keep tabs on as he will be free to leave in the summer as well.
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Wrexham will also have to keep an eye on their defenders as Ben Tozer, Callum McFadzean, Liam McAlinden, Luke Young, Jake Bickerstaff, Max Cleworth, Jordan Tunnicliffe, Aaron Hayden and Bryce Hosannah all will be out of contract come July.
With so many players seeing their contracts run out in the summer, it will be interesting to see how Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson, in conjunction with Reynolds and McElhenney, will replenish the team. One way they can do so is by properly addressing needs during the January transfer window to cover their bases, though Parkinson has not revealed the club's plan so far.
Wrexham AFC's goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo could be a hot commodity in the summer transfer window. (Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)"I don't want to make any predictions for January - in terms of incoming players," Parkinson 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."
More than anything, the 56-year-old is hoping to see what his fully healthy team will look like and perform before making any decisions on whom the team should target when the window opens on Jan. 1.
"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 squared because the 22-man squad rule doesn't count through January," Parkinson concluded.
"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."
With Wrexham sitting in the thick of the promotion race, Reynolds, McElhenney and Parkinson will have to do their due diligence to ensure the club gets its second promotion. Then, they can focus on players potentially leaving in June.