6 signings Wrexham need to make to become Championship promotion contenders next season

Following three consecutive promotions, Wrexham are now back in the second tier of English football, but they’ve still got their work cut out in the transfer market if they want to have an impact in the Championship.

As of writing, Phil Parkinson’s side have signed two players. Ryan Hardie has signed from Plymouth Argyle and Danny Ward has joined on a free transfer following a seven-year stint with Leicester.

If Wrexham want to be amongst the promotion picture next season in the Championship, we’ve identified six key areas where they need to improve their current squad.

Lewis O’Brien

Getting this signing over the line would be a huge statement of intent.

Last week, Wrexham agreed a ‘club record fee’ with Nottingham Forest to sign O’Brien in a deal worth around £5million.

However, the move has stalled since then, with Wrexham reportedly struggling to meet the 26-year-old’s wage demands.

Given he’s in the prime years of his career and already has plenty of Championship experience under his belt, O’Brien would be a smart signing for Parkinson’s squad.

He spent the second half of last season on loan with Swansea and like usual, looked like a classy operator at this level.

If Wrexham aren’t able to agree personal terms with the Forest star, he’ll almost certainly end up elsewhere in the Championship.

Another central midfielder

Providing that they do manage to sign O’Brien, Wrexham are probably still short of another top Championship-quality central midfielder.

Blackburn captain Lewis Travis has been heavily linked with the Welsh club in recent weeks, although Wrexham aren’t alone in their interest.

With just one year remaining on his current deal, there is a genuine chance that he could leave Blackburn this summer for the right price.

Failing that, a quality Premier League loanee could also fit the bill for what Wrexham are looking for in this position.

A new left-wing back

James McClean has played an instrumental role in Wrexham’s last two promotions, but aged 36, he isn’t getting any younger.

Even in his later years, he’s still kept himself in great physical condition, having played 88 games over the last two seasons.

However, with how demanding the Championship schedule is, Wrexham will need to add some depth and quality on the left-hand side.

Liverpool youngster Owen Beck has been discussed as a possibility, following his impressive loan spell with Blackburn in the Championship last season.

If they do decide to pursue Beck, Wrexham will have to be patient as the 22-year-old is set to be part of Arne Slot’s plans for pre-season.

Whoever they decide to target, this is definitely one of the key positions that needs strengthening.

A new centre-back

Wrexham kept an impressive 24 clean sheets in League One last season, more than any other side in the division.

However, if they want to make an impression on the Championship next season, another centre-back is absolutely needed.

Tottenham’s Ben Davies had been linked earlier in the window, but he’s since penned an extension with Spurs.

Former Wolves centre-half Craig Dawson is still an option, while Cardiff’s Calum Chambers has also been linked in recent days.

A creative midfielder

Last season in League One, Wrexham only ranked 11th in the league for shots taken and 13th for shots on target.

Defensive solidity will only get you so far in the Championship and we think that Wrexham are still crying out for another creative midfielder.

Generally speaking, most of their chances tend to come from their wing-backs with both McClean and Ryan Barnett being their top chance creators last season.

In order to make themselves less predictable, a creative number 10 could be a game-changing signing for Wrexham.

Earlier in the window, they were linked with Christian Eriksen following his release from Manchester United, but those rumours have since died down.

A marquee number nine signing

Wrexham have already got the ball rolling in terms of strengthening their forward options with the signing of Hardie.

The former Plymouth star scored 10 goals in the Championship last season and should complement the likes of Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez.

However, if Wrexham are serious about pushing up the Championship next season, we think they are still in need of a marquee number nine signing.

Plenty of big names have been linked in recent months, from Danny Ings to Patrick Bamford. Given Wrexham’s track record, we wouldn’t be surprised if they move for a number nine later in the window.

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