It seems the end is nigh for Paul Mullin’s Wrexham career, with a move to Wigan Athletic now thought to be close to completion. It may be sad, but it’s actually a perfect transfer for everyone involved.
Paul Mullin was, is, and always will be a Wrexham legend. The fans will never forget his goalscoring exploits, with 105 goals for the Red Dragons over the last four years.
There is arguably no one more integral to Wrexham’s rise through the Football League; at least in terms of gaining promotion from the National League and League Two.
However, after slipping down the pecking order last season, Mullin’s departure has been on the cards for some time.
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Paul Mullin likes to be close to home
It’s all but confirmed that Mullin will now join Wigan this summer. He will join the Latics on loan rather than a permanent transfer; the temporary nature of the move is something we exclusively revealed last week.
While his exit is heartbreaking in many ways, of all the possible destinations for Mullin, a switch to Wigan does feel like the ideal move for the 30-year-old.
| Statistics | Paul Mullin at Wrexham |
| Games | 165 |
| Minutes | 12,621 |
| Goals | 105 |
| Assists | 12 |
The thing is, we know the most important thing for Mullin in the world is his family. In Welcome to Wrexham, Mullin explained why he chose the move to Wrexham in the first place, stating: “It was documented when I came to Wrexham that it was a big deal for the club but for me it was about being close to my family. Someone could have offered me £60k a week to go play in China and I’d have sat looking at my child thinking ‘I can’t leave you again’.”
As a Liverpool boy and with his family based in the North West of England, Wigan is a sensible move that will not uproot Mullin and his loved ones too much, if at all.
Indeed, aside from staying at Wrexham — something we know Mullin wanted to do — or the very unrealistic dream of signing for Liverpool, there are not many moves that would make more sense for Mullin than this one.
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Ryan Lowe has wanted Paul Mullin for a long time
Speaking of Liverpool, it will not be difficult for Mullin to feel right at home working with fellow Scouser Ryan Lowe.
The Wigan boss will surely connect with Mullin immediately and there’s every chance that Lowe can get the best out of the striker in the third tier.
Interestingly, this will be the culmination of a four-year pursuit for Lowe, who has tried to sign Mullin previously.
Just as his contract with Cambridge United was coming to an end, Mullin was a target for Lowe at Plymouth Argyle (according to Alan Nixon). As late as May 29, 2021, Argyle were said to be “still trying hard” to get a deal done for Mullin, before he eventually chose Wrexham in July of that summer.