Wrexham have shown a statement of intent to the Championship with their recent transfer activity.
Wrexham have broken their transfer record twice this summer, first with the capture of New Zealand international Liberato Cacace from Serie A outfit Empoli.
Lewis O’Brien became Wrexham’s record transfer after his arrival from Nottingham Forest was confirmed in a deal believed to be around £5m.
Phil Parkinson has also added experienced Championship midfielder Josh Windass to his ranks with owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney keeping their promise of showing ‘aggression’ in the market. It does have some repercussions however…
Wrexham’s wage bill per month now bigger than entire budget spent in National League
Speaking on the latest episode of the ‘Fozcast’ with former Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster, club director Shaun Harvey has explained the financial impact of the new signings.
With Parkinson’s side being promoted into the Championship, there was an understanding that significant investment would have to be made on and off the pitch for the progression of the club to continue.
Signings such as Windass and O’Brien bring with them major financial packages and Harvey has explained the change in Wrexham’s spending from their time in the National League.
Harvey stated: “Our model has always been that we wanted to try and sign players that were at least used to playing one division higher than what we were playing in.
“If we are going to do that now, we are signing players from the Premier League and they want Premier League wages.
“So we’re looking and we’ve probably sub-divided the Championship into top end and bottom end and even if you’re looking at signing players from the top end of the Championship to come and help you on your journey, they’re earning fortunes more.
“Our wage bill now a month will be more than what we paid in the entire time in the National League.”
Wrexham’s highest earner now beyond wages given to Jay Rodriguez
Before the summer transfer window, striker Jay Rodriguez was the club’s highest earner on £25k a-week according to Capology.
However, significant investment in recent weeks means that the figure is now highly likely to have been broken by the club.
| Highest paid players at Wrexham | Wage |
| Jay Rodriguez | £25k a-week |
| Sam Smith | £15k a-week |
| Matty James | £15k a-week |
O’Brien initially rejected a contract with Wrexham but the Red Dragons went in with another offer to make him a record-breaking transfer and with wages probably well in excess of the £25k paid to Rodriguez.
It indicates a shift in strategy from the club that most of their signings have also been given three-year deals, instead of the usual 18-month contracts given out previously.
Parkinson is planning for success both in the short and long term with his acquisitions this summer and the club’s model continues to be forward-thinking.