Wrexham were keen to sign Tom Cairney last summer, but the midfielder chose to stay at Fulham and sign a new contract.
Wrexham racked up 13 summer signings, and speculation followed the club throughout the transfer window.
Just weeks after promotion from League One was secured, Wrexham were linked with a stunning move for Tom Cairney.
Cairney was out of contract at Fulham and was seemingly offered big money to join Wrexham in the Championship.
Tom Cairney waiting for Premier League chance after Wrexham snub
Cairney chose to stay with Fulham, prolonging his legacy at Craven Cottage with a new one-year contract.
The 34-year-old would have brought major quality to the Wrexham squad, but it just wasn’t meant to be for Phil Parkinson.
Cairney’s decision was an interesting one, as he would surely have been given a starring role at Wrexham.
Given his age, Cairney’s role at Fulham was always likely to be a bit-part one, and that has been the case in the early weeks of the season.
Cairney has played just 24 minutes of Premier League action this season, coming off the bench on the opening day against Brighton and Hove Albion.
The veteran midfielder was an unused substitute against both Manchester United and Chelsea, but he did play the full 90 minutes against Bristol City in the Carabao Cup.
Cairney will hope for a Premier League opportunity soon, with Fulham taking on Leeds United this weekend.
Leeds released Cairney at the age of 16, so he would surely love to haunt the Whites on Saturday afternoon.
Cairney only started three Premier League games last season and may well be set for a similar season when he could have been starring for Wrexham.
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Tom Cairney praised by Fulham teammates
Selfishly, we would have loved to see a player of Cairney’s quality at Wrexham, but we can understand his decision to stay at Fulham.
Cairney has spent 10 years with the club, racking up more than 350 appearances while becoming a fan favourite.
Leaving Fulham would not have been an easy decision for him to make, even if playing a part in the Wrexham project would have been enticing.
Fulham have now released a documentary titled ‘TC10: Ain’t Nobody’, paying tribute to Cairney’s decade at the club.
Fulham Ryan Sessegnon was asked to share his view on Cairney and responded by calling him a ‘leader’ and a ‘magician’.
Cairney is clearly loved at Fulham, but it’s hard not to imagine just how good he could have been at Wrexham.