Wrexham have so many strikers at Phil Parkinson’s disposal but the progress of Sam Dalby at Dundee United remains a focus.
League One managers are no doubt looking on at Phil Parkinson and Wrexham with envy.
Parkinson is blessed with seven strikers fighting it out for two starting positions in his Wrexham starting XI.
Record signing Sam Smith arrived in January and former England international Jay Rodriguez joined him at Wrexham just hours later.
Paul Mullin is out of favour, Ollie Palmer snubbed an exit but can’t get on the bench and summer signing Modou Faal has yet to start a League One game.
Smith and Rodriguez have been starting with Steven Fletcher and Jack Marriott off the bench, handing Parkinson some fine attacking options for the promotion run-in.
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Sam Dalby praised for Dundee United display
Those options are pretty impressive but Wrexham actually loaned out a striker who has been in sensational form this season.
Sam Dalby joined Dundee United back on deadline day in August with Parkinson happy to move him on.
Dalby scored just one goal in League Two last season and seemingly didn’t have a huge role to play this term.
The 25-year-old is now enjoying the finest season of his career having hit 12 goals for Dundee United
That leaves Dalby on top of the Scottish Premiership scoring charts, even ahead of Celtic and Rangers players.
Dalby scored the only goal of the game on Saturday, handing Dundee United a 1-0 victory against Motherwell.
BBC Sport named Dalby as the Man of the Match against Motherwell and praise has also arrived from Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Goodwin noted that Dalby’s predatory instincts mean that he is always likely to score if given the service.
“The result was huge today given how the other results have gone,” said Dalby.
“It was about getting back to basics, keeping clean sheets, defending well, and I always feel we’ll get good chances. With a guy like Sam Dalby given service, nine times out of 10 he’ll put the ball in the back of the net,” he added.
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Jim Goodwin on Sam Dalby future
Wrexham have offered Dalby a new contract with his current deal set to expire this summer.
We can’t see Dalby accepting that offer though; his stock has never been higher and he will be looking to capitalise with a move elsewhere.
Dalby can control his fate as a free agent this summer and Dundee United understandably want to keep him.
Boss Goodwin has told BBC Sport that he expects Dundee United to be ‘at the table’ with talks to keep Dalby this summer.
Goodwin noted that Dalby is ‘very grateful’ for the chance Dundee United have given him, and he has one eye on becoming the league’s top scorer at the end of the campaign.
“There is no surprise Sam has got a lot of attention off the back of what he has done for Dundee United,” said Goodwin as he prepares for battle over the striker’s future.
“It’s been a really successful loan for everybody. Do we want to try and hold on to him? Of course we do, and we will be at the table having those conversations in the summer.
“But some of these teams out there have got bigger budgets and we are quite realistic about that aspect of it as well.
“All I can say is that Sam has loved his time at Dundee United, he has really appreciated what the club have done for him. We have given him that opportunity to put himself in the spotlight and I know he is very grateful for that.
“Sam has played a huge role in putting us in the position we are in right now and I know he has got one eye on being the top goal scorer in the Premiership which would be a hell of an achievement for him,” he added.
Goodwin commented on Wrexham’s offer to Dalby earlier in the week, believing that Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have made a ‘very good’ financial offer to keep Dalby.
Dundee United may not be able to match that offer but first-team football must be Dalby’s focus right now – and that surely means leaving Wrexham.