Wrexham snapped up Nathan Broadhead last week, bringing the forward back to the STōK Cae Ras after 17 years away.
Phil Parkinson had already landed three new faces to bolster his Wrexham attack before making his biggest move yet.
Ryan Hardie was Wrexham’s first signing of the summer, Josh Windass joined Wrexham on a free transfer, and Kieffer Moore moved to the STōK Cae Ras from Sheffield United.
Parkinson still had another huge move in mind, as Wrexham pounced to sign Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich Town.
Wrexham paid a club-record fee to sign Broadhead, consisting of around £7.5million in guaranteed money and £2.5million in add-ons.
Wrexham fans could have barely even imagined spending up to £10million on one player, but Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds continue to back Parkinson admirably.
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Phil Parkinson praises Wrexham’s Nathan Broadhead
Broadhead arrives with significant expectations, which is only natural after such an enormous transfer fee.
The Welsh international is a proven performer at Championship level and will look to bring that quality to Wrexham on a consistent basis.
Broadhead hasn’t made an instant impact, but there is nothing wrong with that; he has played just over 120 minutes of action and needs some time to settle in.
Parkinson has confirmed a slight injury issue for Broadhead, noting that he is suffering from a tight calf at the moment.
That may just impact Broadhead’s performances, but Parkinson has also praised his new signing as a ‘clever footballer’.
Parkinson accepted that Broadhead’s display in Wrexham’s 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday ‘didn’t quite come off’, but he has no concerns about him moving forward.
“He’s learning about us and we’re learning about him,” said Parkinson.
“He’s a clever footballer and it didn’t quite come off from him in moments, but it will do. He’ll get fitter with the more minutes he gets in,” he added.
EFL pundit shares Nathan Broadhead concern
Broadhead’s injury worry comes just as EFL pundit Gregor Robertson shared his concern over the Welshman’s durability.
Speaking on The Game’s EFL Extra podcast last week, Robertson suggested that Broadhead has ‘really struggled’ to stay fit in his career.
Robertson praised Broadhead as a ‘really talented’ player, but branded the fee ‘remarkable’ given the perceived uncertainty around his availability.
“The Broadhead fee is remarkable for someone who is 27 and has really struggled to stay fit consistently. He’s a really talented player, there’s no questioning that, but they need to keep him fit and you’d want a bit more certainty for a fee that could rise to £10million,” said Robertson.
Broadhead was on the sidelines for a large chunk of last season, but missed just eight games in Ipswich’s 2023-24 season.
The 27-year-old suffered some niggling injury problems in that season, but he still managed 38 games in a promotion-winning campaign, scoring 13 times in the process.
Parkinson will be cautious over this calf issue, but will have full faith in Broadhead to be a major and consistent threat in the Wrexham attack this season and beyond.