Wrexham still have work to do in the League One promotion race as Phil Parkinson chases a place in the Championship.
Wrexham drew 0-0 at Wigan Athletic on Saturday afternoon, with Wycombe Wanderers eating into the points cushion.
Wycombe now sit just one point adrift of Wrexham with four games to play, leaving both clubs in a real shootout.
Wrexham will hope to get a third promotion in a row secured and may well have already started planning for the summer.
Recruitment at this stage is tough, but Wrexham may have put two separate lists of targets together – one for the Championship and one for League One.
You can never truly doubt Wrexham’s pulling power under Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, but one recent rumour seemed to have promotion in mind.
Speculation suggests that Wrexham are interested in signing Tom Lawrence, with the playmaker coming to the end of his Rangers contract.
Lawrence hails from Wrexham and would represent a real coup in terms of name value, so we spoke to Cameron Willis from Rangers News for the inside track on Lawrence.
- READ MORE: Tom Lawrence stance on Wrexham transfer revealed as Phil Parkinson prepares for ‘big’ summer
Tom Lawrence joined Rangers back in 2022, and he is now coming to the end of his three-year contract. How would you evaluate his time at Ibrox and his impact since joining the club?
If there is one word to sum up Lawrence’s time in Glasgow, unfortunately, it’s injuries. The Welshman arrived with a lot of promise and had a bright start at Ibrox but sustained a knee injury early on in his first season and has a succession of niggles since. There have been some moments of quality but a real lack of consistency, and it’s been three seasons of hurt for the midfielder.
Can you point to any real highs or lows for Lawrence during his time at Ibrox?
Real highs would be Lawrence’s start at Ibrox. The midfielder played a crucial role in Rangers qualifying for the Champions League under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, scoring in the 2-2 playoff draw with PSV. The biggest low would have to be that knee injury, which has hurt his chances in Glasgow ever since.
Is there any chance at all of Lawrence signing a new contract and extending his stay with Rangers?
It’s a weird one. There are mixed reports about a contract option. Rangers have been cutting their wage bill and shipping out English Championship-level players on high wages for the last 18 months. Lawrence probably falls into that category. He’s just not been fit enough to have an impact, and it would represent a risk to give him another year. It’s a shame, as he definitely has unfinished business at the club.
Lawrence has only started eight league games for Rangers this season and three in the Europa League. Why has he failed to lock down a role under both Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson?
It’s simple – injuries. There have been moments when Lawrence has been given an opportunity, and the midfielder has either broken down or shown the aftereffects of being sidelined for so long. Rangers also have a lot of competition in midfield, and he’s competing with Ianis Hagi, Nedim Bajrami and Mohamed Diomande for a place.
Phil Parkinson requires total commitment from his Wrexham players in and out of possession. Is Lawrence the kind of playmaker to do his part off the ball, too?
This might be a worry for Wrexham fans. The biggest issue Rangers fans have had with Lawrence since he came back from injury is a perceived lack of athleticism or mobility. There have been games when it’s felt like the team is carrying the midfielder.
It would be a real shame if the succession of issues have really had such a big impact on his body, but there’s a chance that’s the case. I am not convinced he’d be a good fit at Wrexham for that reason, but there can be no doubt about Lawrence’s quality when he turns it on. He’s an excellent dribbler and intelligent link-up player with a wicked shot from long range. He can be a match-winner, but we’ve just not seen it enough.
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We can only thank Cameron for his honesty here, with Lawrence clearly having quality in his locker but lingering question marks over his athleticism after some injury problems.
It’s difficult to imagine Lawrence dropping into League One right now, even with the emotional pull of joining his hometown club.
Wrexham would likely need promotion in order to sign Lawrence, so he could be one to watch this summer if Parkinson’s men get over the line in the coming weeks.