Wrexham announced their second signing of the summer on Tuesday as Lewis Brunt arrived from Premier League side Leicester City.
Phil Parkinson is assembling a squad at Wrexham ready to tackle League One.
The Reds are sorted in the goalkeeping position following the arrival of Arthur Okonkwo. The 22-year-old snatched the starting spot after Ben Foster retired last term and it’s his to lose in the third tier.
Okonkwo’s transfer produced so much hype from supporters on the back of his incredible loan spell and similar excitement is shared towards their latest capture, Lewis Brunt.
Wrexham confirmed the signing of the centre-back from Leicester City on Tuesday, beating League One rivals Mansfield to the punch after manager Nigel Clough claimed he was their number one target.
Parkinson was delighted with the acquisition, claiming he’s an “exceptional” signing with “a lot of development in him”.
Lewis Brunt’s career so far
Brunt began his football career for his hometown club Aston Villa, where he signed his first professional contract in 2018.
In 2021, he made the move across the Midlands to Leicester City, where he impressed and made his first-team debut against Watford in the FA Cup.
Brunt was then rewarded with an appearance in the Premier League in 2022, coming off the bench in a 3-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.
For his talents and effort across that season, the youngster claimed the Men’s Development Squad Player of the Year award and a three-year contract extension.
Brunt experienced his first real taste of senior football last term as he embarked on a loan spell at League Two outfit Mansfield, who Wrexham were battling for promotion with.
The 23-year-old appeared 40 times in all competitions – including 34 appearances in the league – as the Stags sealed promotion to League One, finishing just behind Wrexham in third.
Having played a key role in the heart of Clough’s defence, Brunt attracted attention from a host of third-tier sides but it was Parkinson who won the race for his signature.
Player profile
- Full name: Lewis Brunt
- Age: 23
- Height: 1.87m (6 ft 2 in)
- Nationality: English
- Date of birth: 6th November 2000
- Place of birth: Birmingham, England
- Position: Centre-back
- Preferred foot: Right
What Lewis Brunt will bring to Wrexham
Parkinson was in desperate need of defensive reinforcements following the departures of Ben Tozer, Aaron Hayden and Jordan Tunnicliffe, so Brunt will offer strong cover for their back three.
Towards the end of last season, the Wrexham boss preferred a trio of Max Cleworth, Eoghan O’Connell and Tom O’Connor, who helped the Reds win their final five league games.
For Mansfield, the talented defender played as a left centre-back in a four-man defence, normally partnering the experienced Aden Flint.
That pair struck up a strong understanding as they kept an impressive 11 clean sheets, with Brunt excelling across multiple statistics.
| Lewis Brunt 2023/24 statistics | Statistic |
| Appearances | 34 |
| Clean sheets | 11 |
| Accurate passes per game | 36.4 (81%) |
| Interceptions per game | 1.2 |
| Tackles per game | 1.1 |
| Balls recovered per game | 4.4 |
| Clearances per game | 3.3 |
| Aerial duels won | 3.2 (62%) |
Brunt, much like Wrexham’s current young centre-back Cleworth, had a fantastic first campaign in League Two.
At the age of 23, he still has plenty of scope to develop into the complete defender, perhaps becoming more aerially dominant and better at reading the game.
When he arrives in Wales, the ball-playing defender won’t expect to start straight away however, he’s a great option to have from the bench and he’ll no doubt be pushing the current starting trio for a regular spot.