While Wrexham look to recruit new players this month, they still need to decide what to do about Sam Dalby amid his great form on loan at Dundee United.
Wrexham have a title race in League One to worry about, and how they operate in the January transfer window could make or break their season.
But, among the deals Wrexham could complete this month, there is also the small matter of whether Phil Parkinson should recall Sam Dalby from his loan spell.
The striker has bagged ten goals for Dundee United in the first half of the season, and the idea of recalling Dalby has been weighed up by Wrexham.
Sam Dalby would have to be a guaranteed starter if he came back to Wrexham
Discussing this tricky dilemma on the Rob.Ryan.Red podcast this week, Nathan Salt and Rich Fay looked at the pros and cons of bringing Dalby back to the Racecourse Ground, and tried to come up with a solution that would suit all parties.
Fay said: “I understand, top scorer in the SPL, wow, sign him up. Two caveats though, Dalby is playing as the main man now, but if he came back to Wrexham he would have to be the main man. To get the Sam Dalby we have seen at Dundee United, Parkinson says you and Mullin start for the rest of the season, Fletcher might come on for you but you start every week.
“We know Parkinson loves him, but he lacked confidence and that’s why he didn’t succeed in League Two. If Dalby comes back and the promise is 90 minutes a match, if you’re fit you’re playing… but if you give him the Steven Fletcher role of coming off the bench for 20 mins, it kills confidence, and you don’t have the same player. That’s very important.”
Fay then highlighted the fact that the SPL is potentially not at the same level of quality as League One, before suggesting the “cruel business” of football would lead him to recall Dalby before selling him on.
His co-host, Salt, then interjects, reminding us all that Dalby has already played for both Wrexham and Dundee United this season, meaning if another club were to buy him this month, he would not be eligible to play.
| Statistics | Sam Dalby (2024/25) |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 19 |
| Minutes played | 1,435 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Shots on target | 51.4% |
| Shots per 90 | 2.33 |
So, what is Salt’s solution? He added: “How much do they want to keep him? They’re in third now, could get into Europe. Can Dundee United afford £200k? He’s out of contract in the summer, so they might play the good guy and let Wrexham be the bad guys in recalling him, and if they don’t bid, then what?
“Wrexham are stuck with him… When we didn’t extend the contract last summer… most people would cut their losses. Now, in hindsight, if we had extended it, we’d be in a much stronger position.
“I’m starting to wonder whether Wrexham know Dundee United don’t have the cash, and will just let Dalby flourish up there as a gesture of goodwill, if nothing else.”
Leaving Sam Dalby where he is may be the best option
Yes, Dalby is in great form, and Wrexham quite clearly need a new striker, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the solution and the problem go hand-in-hand as easily as that.
Dalby has said he just wants to play football, and shared how much he is enjoying himself at Dundee United right now, and it would be unfair to drag him away from that situation on the off-chance that he might end up doing well back at Wrexham.
Wrexham do not need the meagre amount of money they could drain out of Dundee United if they wanted to play hard-ball, and they are not a club that’s about to mess a player around whom they obviously like a lot and who has served them well.
Letting Dalby continue doing what he’s doing at Dundee United will allow him to find a club at the end of the season who can give him what he wants. Whether that’s in Scotland, England, or Wales, doesn’t matter, the Red Dragons should do right by Dalby and find a new striker who can deliver what they need.