Wrexham have plans to increase their spending massively after securing promotion to the Championship.
Wrexham were promoted out of League One on April 26, 2025, beating Charlton Athletic 3-0.
Even before their promotion had officially been confirmed, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds were involved in discussions regarding the club’s future plans.
It was shared earlier in 2025 by Humphrey Ker that Wrexham will need to quadruple their wage bill if and when they reach the Championship.
At the time, Ker had said how Rob and Ryan felt about such a decision, with both seemingly on board.
He said: “This was something that was discussed very early on this season in terms of what it would likely end up costing. Everybody is very aware of what would be required, which is good.
“When we had that Zoom, I watched like a hawk and I was looking at Rob and Ryan’s boxes to see what their faces do when these kinds of sums come up. They both looked very calm, which was good.”
Now, Wrexham have been linked with a player who is going to take a sizable chunk out of their increased wage bill.
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Aaron Cresswell wage as Wrexham plot move
It emerged over the weekend that Wrexham want to sign Aaron Cresswell amid competition from Leeds United.
The left-back has spent the last several years on the books of West Ham United, where he has enjoyed much success and lifted a European trophy.
However, Cresswell is set to become a free agent at the end of June after being released by the Hammers.
Should Wrexham indeed get a move over the line, he will likely set the club back a fair amount despite being a free transfer.
According to Capology, Cresswell’s current contract, which expires on June 30, sees him take home £50,000-a-week, or £2.6m-a-year.
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Wrexham wages vs Aaron Cresswell
Whether Wrexham would pay more than that or slightly less, given his age, remains to be seen.
But it would make sense for the full-back to be asking for a similar sum given it will most likely be his final big contract before retiring.
Over £2m a year is no small fee and would put a decent dent in the club’s newly increased wage bill.
For comparison, Jay Rodriguez is earning £15,000-a-week, and is said to be Wrexham’s highest earner right now.
| Player | Weekly wage | Annual salary |
| George Dobson | £7,200 | £374,400 |
| George Evans | £7,200 | £374,400 |
| James McClean | £6,100 | £317,200 |
| Jack Marriott | £6,100 | £317,200 |
| Paul Mullin | £5,800 | £301,600 |
| Steven Fletcher | £5,600 | £291,200 |
| Andy Cannon | £5,500 | £286,000 |
| Will Boyle | £5,400 | £280,800 |
| Eoghan O’Connell | £5,300 | £275,600 |
| Oliver Rathbone | £4,800 | £249,600 |
| Ollie Palmer | £4,800 | £249,600 |
| Seb Revan | £4,600 | £239,200 |
| Elliot Lee | £4,300 | £223,600 |
| Luke Bolton | £4,000 | £208,000 |
| Thomas O’Connor | £3,600 | £187,200 |
| Dan Scarr | £3,400 | £176,800 |
| Ryan Barnett | £2,700 | £140,400 |
| Arthur Okonkwo | £2,500 | £130,000 |
| Jacob Mendy | £2,100 | £109,200 |
| Lewis Brunt | £2,000 | £104,000 |
| Mo Faal | £1,900 | £98,800 |
| Mark Howard | £1,900 | £98,800 |
| Callum Burton | £1,400 | £72,800 |
| Josh Adam | £1,100 | £57,200 |
| Liam Hall | £790 | £41,080 |
| Max Cleworth | £730 | £37,960 |
Wrexham player wages are listed via Salary Sport, who don’t have details of Sam Smith and Ryan Longman’s deals.