Wrexham are in talks to sign ex-Manchester United youngster Nick Powell after he was recently released by Stoke City.
A report from The Mirror suggests that the former United wonderkid is happily settled in South Cheshire, not far from Wrexham, and is open to dropping down two divisions to play for the Red Dragons.
A potential stumbling block in the touted move, however, is the 29-year-old’s wage, which was reported to be in the region of £16,000 per week at Stoke, a figure that Wrexham – despite their Hollywood owners – will unlikely be able to afford.
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Nick Powell’s career to date
Born and raised in Crewe, Nick Powell became the second youngest player to feature for his hometown club, Crewe Alexandra, when he made his professional debut at the age of 16 in 2010.
Powell caught the eye of many in the football world during the 2011/12 season, only his second full campaign with the club, as he netted an impressive 16 goals in 45 matches in all competitions, including a stunning volley in the League Two play-off final against Cheltenham.
Manchester United came calling for the then-18-year-old the following summer, signing him in a deal reported to be worth up to £6 million depending on future add-ons.
However, Powell only played for Manchester United on nine occasions over the next four seasons, earning six of those appearances – and his one and only goal for the club – in his first season where he played under Sir Alex Ferguson who at one stage dubbed the attacking midfielder ‘the next Paul Scholes.’
Most of Powell’s time at United was spent out on loan, with spells at Wigan and Hull in the Championship and Leicester following their promotion to the Premier League.
Powell joined Wigan Athletic permanently on a free transfer ahead of the 2016/17 season and he would go on to play 99 times for the Latics over three campaigns, scoring 29 goals.
After his contract at Wigan came to an end, Powell made the switch to fellow Championship side Stoke City.
Powell has been at the Potters for the past four seasons and scored 28 goals in 119 appearances, although his final two seasons at Stoke were impacted by several injury issues.
Nick Powell is a player of proven Championship pedigree and Wrexham are showing plenty of ambition in their reported attempts to sign him.
If the move does go ahead, it will only cement the Red Dragons as one of the early favourites to earn promotion straight up to League One.
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