Newport County manager Graham Coughlan has praised Wrexham’s progress under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Newport are in an entirely different situation to Wrexham, with the club in financial turmoil and set to lose key players. Wrexham meanwhile, are chasing back-to-back promotions, having built a high-quality squad which tore up the National League in style.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Coughlan praised Wrexham’s owners for their ambition and indicated that the Red Dragons could have one of the best financial situations in the whole division.
“I think it’s a great story and a great thing to do to invest in a football club… hats off to them,” Coughlan stated.
“They spend and they blow us out of the water but that’s part and parcel of the football pyramid at this moment in time.”
How have Wrexham spent this summer?
Wrexham have been surprisingly quiet in the transfer market upon their return to the Football League, bringing in just one signing in former Huddersfield defender Will Boyle.
The injury to Paul Mullin has meant that Phil Parkinson’s side may dip into the market to find a temporary solution upfront.
Spending in the last few seasons to build the squad in the National League has set Wrexham up nicely for the season despite promotion to a higher level, but if the Red Dragons manage to achieve promotion again, there could be a much higher level of spending next summer.
Attracting players from higher divisions has also been a key factor in Wrexham’s successful recruitment, with Boyle, Mullin and Ben Foster dropping down to the National League when capable of playing at a higher level.
The investment from McElhenney and Reynolds has made this possible, and other clubs within League Two will certainly be watching Wrexham with some envy.