Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been warned to avoid overspending on a “marquee signing” ahead of their move to the Championship, and the subsequent push for the Premier League
Wrexham’s rise to global prominence under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney could yet be turbocharged should the Red Dragons opt to bring in a superstar or two to boost their impending push for Premier League soccer.
Recently promoted to the Championship, Wrexham’s third promotion in as many years, the Welsh side has been linked with numerous high-profile players such as Jamie Vardy, Raheem Sterling, and Jonny Evans. However, while some may be tempted to push for a marquee signing, from a financial perspective, and perhaps arguably also that of locker room stability, some believe this is not the way to go.
“I get the impression that [Reynolds and McElhenney] are taking things very seriously and want to get Wrexham into the Premier League,” Welsh comedian and radio host Elis James told William Hill Sport Book of the Year.
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“The idea of a marquee signing like Cristiano Ronaldo would be incredible for the social media profile of the club, but the costs involved would be utterly insane and I’m sure there’s far more sensible ways of spending their money.
“Because they’re Hollywood stars with amazing wealth, when you see the stories in the press about potential superstar signings from bigger clubs, there could always be a kernel of truth in it.
“I personally don’t think that’s the way to go for them, though. [Head coach] Phil Parkinson is doing a great job so surely they’ll keep doing what they’re doing.”
Previously linked with a return to the English soccer pyramid with Wrexham as a player, or potentially even an investor, Manchester United legend Ronaldo currently stars for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. Currently earning in the region of $4 million per week, it’s safe to say that the Red Dragons would not be able to offer anything even remotely competitive with this salary were they to shock the soccer world and make a move for the Portuguese icon.
Forgetting the glaring salary stumbling block, there is also the fact that Parkinson has made his stance on signing superstars crystal clear following their latest promotion.
“What we’ve always tried to do is make sure the culture in the club is right and I think that’s key – no superstars, no egos in the dressing room and we’ve got to try and get that balance right again,” he said, via ESPN. “You always need extra quality when you go up a level to make sure the right people come into the building.”
Raising the quality of players available without upsetting the apple cart will be no mean feat, especially when it comes to bigger names and the blogger egos that often accompany them. But Parkinson appears confident that the Wrexham front office is up for the challenge ahead of the team’s first season in the English second-tier since 1982.
“I think everybody knows the jump [to the Championship] is huge,” Parkinson said. “I remember when I took Bolton up, it was [exhales] ‘This is huge!” in terms of the physicality and power in the division.
“But I’m confident we will be well prepared for that. I think that a lot of tough decisions will be made this summer, in terms of who we bring in and how we add to this fantastic squad of lads we’ve got, but let’s see if we can build a squad to compete at that level.”
As for James, he, too, believes that Wrexham is in safe hands moving into the latest chapter of their remarkable transformation, praising Reynolds and McElhenney for their approach to ownership since taking over for $2.5 million in 2021.
“Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have gone about things the right way and have been very respectful to the area, the traditions of the club and the Welsh language,” he said, “They’ve done great things, and football is a sport with a lot of terrible owners but I’d never put those two in that bracket.”
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