A wave of exits have occurred at Wrexham this summer but it doesn’t look like stopping there as two more could be on their way out.
Wrexham waved goodbye to six first-team players following promotion, some of whom played a massive part in their journey from the National League.
Aaron Hayden, Ben Tozer and captain Luke Young were among those list of departures, three individuals who have made a combined 463 appearances at the club.
Hayden has since returned to Carlisle United in League Two whilst Tozer dropped back down to the National League as he was snapped up by recently relegated Forest Green.
Getting rid of players is ultimately part of the process when a club wins promotion as Phil Parkinson looks to strengthen his squad.
And whilst six senior players have left, the squad is still bloated in certain positions, particularly at striker.
Billy Waters and Jake Bickerstaff could be sold by Wrexham
As reported by the Athletic, Billy Waters and Jake Bickerstaff are likely to depart this summer.
Whilst the club will be looking to sanction a permanent move for Waters, Parkinson could end up loaning out Bickerstaff to another League Two side.
The 22-year-old spent last term at Accrington Stanley, starting eight times and scoring just once in a 3-1 defeat to Sutton United.
Described as a “very good finisher” after scoring twice in August, Parkinson rates the youngster highly and another loan could be beneficial for his development.
For Waters, meanwhile, it looks as though his days at Wrexham could be numbered.
Signed from Barrow as an emergency option to Paul Mullin in March 2023, the 29-year-old has since made eight appearances for the club and in a loan spell at Doncaster Rovers, he failed to score in 11 appearances.
Sell Billy Waters, loan out Jake Bickerstaff
Bickerstaff is currently playing at the TST 7v7 tournament in North Carolina as part of the Wrexham Red Dragons, starring alongside names such as two-time World Cup ace Roger Espinosa, ex-Premier League players George Boyd and Gary Hooper and current teammates Mark Howard and Aaron James.
The Liverpool-born striker will likely return and be loaned out as several fourth-tier clubs should show an interest following a productive spell at Accrington.
For a young player with big potential as a centre forward, it would be foolish to sell and regret that decision later down the line, but instead let him develop temporarily elsewhere.
Whilst it’s wise to keep Bickerstaff around, it’s the correct decision to let Waters move on. He’s simply not good enough and Wrexham need to add another striker to their ranks.
Facilitating a move for the goal-shy Waters would allow Parkinson to invest in a proven League One striker to play alongside Mullin, with the Reds looking to fulfil their promotion ambitions.