Wrexham are still reeling from their first home defeat since March 2024 following their 3-2 defeat to Stevenage.
Phil Parkinson was left scratching his head as a poor performance has left the club trailing by six points in the promotion push.
Elliot Lee and Ollie Palmer struggled up front and there is still no new striker through the door in the January transfer window.
Wrexham fans have sent a clear message to the owners that signings are needed if they are to progress out of League One this season and a Wrexham expert believes he may have stumbled upon a transfer ‘game’ the club are playing in the final few days of the window.
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Wrexham expert believes Sam Smith interest could be ‘kidology’ to prize away Michael Smith
Speaking on the Rob. Ryan. Red podcast, journalist Nathan Salt has explained his belief that recent interest in Reading striker Sam Smith may be a transfer ploy to try and prize away Michael Smith from Sheffield Wednesday.
Salt stated: “It’s a game of kidology now. You’re trying to give off the impression to Sheffield Wednesday that you’re moving on. You’re moving on to Sam Smith and who knows, they may say you know what? We will take 600,000 or half a million for Michael Smith.”
A deal for Michael Smith looks increasingly unlikely for Wrexham however, this could be one last play for the ‘game-changer‘ that Parkinson desperately wants to spearhead his attack.
Wrexham would also find it difficult to sign Sam Smith given Reading’s transfer embargo and inability to replace their star striker in the window.
Sam Smith would be an upgrade on Ollie Palmer
Should Wrexham go ahead and sign Sam Smith from League One rivals Reading, it would still represent a good piece of business for the Red Dragons.
Smith is proven in this division and has already scored eleven goals in 25 appearances for Reading this season, also contributing two assists along the way.
| League One club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Cambridge United | 143 | 43 | 7 |
| Reading | 74 | 29 | 3 |
| Oxford United | 23 | 3 | 1 |
A total of 75 goals at League One level is an impressive return for the 26-year-old striker and plays in a similar style to Ollie Palmer, who himself is struggling for goals at this level.
Whether the club can deliver on either of Parkinson’s targets remains to be seen but it is crucial that the manager is given more tools to work with in attacking areas if they are to remain pushing for promotion.