Wrexham were incredibly busy during the summer transfer window, as they signed 13 players in preparation for the upcoming Championship campaign.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac invested heavily in Phil Parkinson as Wrexham spent £33 million on new signings, which has seemingly paid off with the club on a four-game unbeaten run in the second tier.
This level of investment in players would have been unthinkable just a couple of seasons ago when the Red Dragons were in the National League or League Two.
Acquiring players to join them at that level was not easy; however, Parkinson has seen the change when recruiting individuals for the team, believing their success on and off the pitch has transformed this element of the club.
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Phil Parkinson believes ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ has been key to the club’s recruitment
Phil Parkinson was sold the Wrexham plan by Rob Mac before he joined the club, and this is what attracted him to the position, with this coming to fruition as the club is now playing in the Championship.
While much of this success can be accredited to the management of the team by Parkinson, it has been a collective effort at the Racecourse Ground to bring this success.
One lesser thought of area for this would have been the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ docuseries; however, Parkinson believes it has been key for the recruitment of players.
Speaking to the Leader, he said: “All of a sudden in League Two, Wrexham were an amazing attraction, although we did fight hard for players who were above the level.
“But here (in the Championship), we have had to compete with clubs for players.
“Obviously you have got clubs with fantastic stadiums, great training facilities, etc.
“We have had to make sure that players who come for talks with us understand the vision of the club and the story as well.
“You don’t have to sell it too much now, but years ago, before the documentary came out, I had to really explain the direction of the club, but it is out there for everybody to see.”
Wrexham’s ‘no superstars’ transfer policy
Ahead of the transfer window opening for their first campaign in the second tier, Phil Parkinson explained to ESPN that the club would not be looking to bring big names to the club if they did not match what they required.
This has seemingly come to fruition as the Red Dragons signed players for the positions they needed, and this has started to pay dividends as they get results in the Championship after a slow start; now they have had time together.
He said: “I’m confident we will be well prepared for that. I think that a lot of tough decisions will be made this summer in terms of who we bring in and how we add to this fantastic squad of lads we’ve got, but let’s see if we can build a squad to compete at that level.
“I think it’s interesting because the jump in salaries is incredible, mind-blowing. Even coming up to this level [League One], the jump to get players of Championship quality is expensive, but obviously with the next level, I don’t think people outside football quite realise. They think players in League One must be multi-millionaires, but the drop-off from what people read about Premier League players when they come down is huge.
“That is a challenge, but what we’ve always tried to do is make sure the culture in the club is right, and I think that’s key — no superstars, no egos in the dressing room, and we’ve got to try and get that balance right again.
“You always need extra quality when you go up a level to make sure the right people come into the building.”