Wrexham are set to splash the cash again, this time on a new defender, with Manchester City’s Callum Doyle poised for a permanent move to the Racecourse Ground.
After spending £21m already this summer, you might think Wrexham are done signing new players, but you’d be wrong.
Two defeats from the opening two games have left Wrexham in no doubt as to where they need to improve. Even Jeff Stelling has told Wrexham to sign new defenders instead of focusing on attackers.
It figures, then, that Wrexham were quickly linked with an £8m move for Callum Doyle as the transfer deadline approaches. So, here’s all you need to know about the player.
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Callum Doyle’s career so far
He may only be 21-years-old, but Callum Doyle has already had four very successful loan spells throughout his career.
Doyle spent time at Sunderland in 2021/22, Coventry City in 2022/23, and Leicester City in 2023/24. He then joined Norwich City last season.
As a product of the Man City academy, Doyle has turned out 31 times for their youth teams but is still yet to make a senior appearance for Pep Guardiola’s side.
| Club | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
| Coventry City | 46 | 0 | 1 | 3,819 |
| Sunderland AFC | 44 | 1 | 3 | 3,295 |
| Norwich City | 43 | 1 | 7 | 3,548 |
| Leicester City | 23 | 0 | 2 | 1,672 |
| Manchester City U18 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 1,502 |
| Manchester City U21 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 1,203 |
He’s played most times for Coventry City (46) but also made over 40 appearances for Sunderland and Norwich, too.
Naturally, he’s not much of a goalscorer, with just five career goals (including three at youth level). He does pop up with assists, though, registering seven last year for the Canaries.
Doyle has also represented England at youth level from Under-18 onwards. He hasn’t featured for the Under-21s since October of 2024, though.
What is Callum Doyle’s best position?
Callum Doyle is a centre-back, with a preference for playing on the left side of a partnership. He can also turn out at left-back if needed, but he has previously stated he prefers to play centrally.
Last season, Doyle played at left-back 18 times for Norwich and 25 times at centre-back.
In terms of his playing style, Doyle would certainly be classed as a ball-playing centre-back. He’s got great vision and calmness on the ball, and is brilliant at playing progressive passes through the lines.
He’s also pretty strong for a young player and is adept at blocking opponents with his body to retain the ball. If he were to have one weakness, it would probably be his awareness and concentration.
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Callum Doyle’s Championship record is incredible
If Wrexham are serious about getting promoted from the Championship, they could do far worse than signing Callum Doyle.
Not only will he improve Phil Parkinson’s defensive options, but he’s also got a really good record of helping teams push for promotion in the past.
At Sunderland and Coventry, Doyle was part of sides that made it to the play-offs. He then won the Championship title with Leicester City. It’s only at Norwich that Doyle has actually failed to finish in the top six.
Callum Doyle transfer value and salary
Wrexham may be paying £8m for Doyle to sign him from Man City, but according to Transfermarkt, he’s actually worth closer to £13m.
It’s not entirely clear how much Doyle earns per week, but estimates suggest he was on around £4,500 while he was at Norwich last year.
In terms of Wrexham’s wage budget, that would put Doyle around the lower to middle bracket. According to Capology, Tom O’Connor also earns £4,500, but it’s worth noting that the Red Dragons will probably be offering Doyle more to get him to sign for them.
What have managers said about Callum Doyle in the past?
Interestingly, Pep Guardiola has said very little about Callum Doyle over the years, but the player did say (via the Manchester City website) that it was “a dream” to work with the legendary Man City manager.
Last season, then-Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup admitted he would be unable to keep Doyle at the club but suggested the youngster should secure a permanent move away from City.
Thorup said (via the Pink’Un): “There’s a price tag that is probably a little bit too difficult for us. I hope, without being his agent or supervisor or anything like that, that his next step is a club where he will be for two, three or four years.”
Former Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca had some intriguing things to say about Doyle during his time with the Foxes, admitting the defender was very useful to the team but also had one weakness.
“You can see [Doyle’s impact], it’s so clear,” Maresca said back in April 2024. “The only problem with Callum and our other defenders, and I’ve said many times, not one of them is quick… but I love Callum.”
Callum Doyle’s height, weight, and age
At the moment, Callum Doyle is 21-years-old, but he will turn 22 on October 3rd.
He is 1.90m tall (or 6ft2in). He’s a pretty lofty defender who uses his physical frame to get the better of opponents. Doyle weighs 85kg.
Is Callum Doyle related to Tommy Doyle?
No, Callum Doyle is not related to Birmingham City loan star (and former Wrexham transfer target) Tommy Doyle.
Callum does have some famous footballing relatives, though. His brother, Alex, is a footballer who plays for Northern Premier League Division One West club Atherton Collieries.
Meanwhile, his dad Scott Doyle previously played for Man City, and his grandfathers Mike Doyle and Glyn Pardoe are both considered City legends.