Wrexham signed one striker on Monday evening, but may still be keen to add more firepower to Phil Parkinson’s squad.
Phil Parkinson rarely rushes into signings and waited until the midway point of June to secure his first addition of the summer.
Wrexham confirmed the signing of Ryan Hardie on Monday, securing the Plymouth Argyle striker on a three-year deal.
Hardie has cost Wrexham just £700,000 with Parkinson pulling off a real bargain given the Scot’s record in the Championship.
The 28-year-old has hit double figures for goals in each of the last two seasons, despite Argyle’s lowly Championship standing in both campaigns.
Argyle fans are sad to see Hardie leave, but Parkinson will be ecstatic after adding one crucial attribute to his Wrexham squad.
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Ryan Hardie brings the pace Phil Parkinson wanted at Wrexham
Hardie has a lot of qualities in his game, but his pace is arguably his strongest trait.
The former Rangers talent loves to play off the shoulder of the last defender and Hardie has highlighted his desire to get in behind defences.
“They can see I’m a hard-working, number nine type that likes to run in behind,” said Hardie on Wrexham’s official YouTube channel.
Wrexham have been accused of being a little one-paced at times, and Parkinson knew that he needed more speed in his side.
Speaking to The Athletic in May, Parkinson highlighted the need for power and pace in the Championship
“Power and pace are key. You look at the physical data and it jumps from League Two to League One but then it goes up again (in the Championship), certainly in high-speed running and the sprint distance and the power of the players. We need to be ready for that,” said Parkinson.
Hardie fits the bill perfectly, offering a real threat in behind that few Wrexham attackers can match.
Wrexham players have to spot Hardie’s runs and pick him out in order to really maximise his qualities, but the new signing certainly adds a new dimension to Parkinson’s attack.
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Ex-Plymouth Argyle boss suggested surprise best position for Ryan Hardie
Wrexham announced Hardie as a striker and that is where he has played for the majority of his career.
Hardie did have a run as a number 10 last season, with former Plymouth Argyle boss Miron Muslic trying something new.
The numbers were pretty impressive: Transfermarkt’s data shows that Hardie bagged five goals and one assist in just seven games as a number 10.
Muslic explained to the Plymouth Herald that he felt Hardie simply wasn’t a number nine, at least in terms of playing up top on his own.
Muslic wanted to play with a more physical striker in attack and believed playing Hardie as a number 10 allowed him to show off his threat in transition.
“I found him a new position because I simply realised Ryan Hardie is not a clear number nine, back to goal,” said Muslic.
“Ryan Hardie is a transition threat and maybe one of the best transition players in our competition. The way we play football we are using the number nine more as a link player, as a target player, back to the goal player. He’s a transitional player and I think that’s his strength, but he can finish as a number nine and that’s also a good quality,” he added.
Now-Schalke boss Muslic saw something in Hardie’s game to switch his position despite playing almost the entirety of his career as a striker.
Parkinson doesn’t really play as a number 10 at Wrexham, sticking to a 3-5-2 system throughout his time at the STōK Cae Ras.
Elliot Lee has often pushed on to support the attack, but Hardie was utilised as one of two number 10s behind a striker with the Pilgrims.
Parkinson surely views Hardie as a striker who can work off the likes of Sam Smith or Jay Rodriguez, but his ability to play in a deeper role is something to note with a long Championship season ahead.