Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds could now make a surprise investment in a brand-new sport.
Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds shocked the whole footballing world when they bought Wrexham in February 2021.
The Reds were locked in the National League and needed serious investment to pull them away from the fifth tier and back challenging in the football league.
Reynolds and McElhenney have since transformed Wrexham into a global force, winning two successive promotions and gaining a worldwide fanbase from the smash-hit Welcome to Wrexham documentary.
Ahead of their first campaign in League One in 19 years, the Hollywood owners have armed Phil Parkinson with the funds to make some impressive signings, including Arthur Okonkwo and George Dobson.
However, it isn’t just football they’re interested in, with it emerging that they could invest in another sport.
Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds could invest in cricket franchise Welsh Fire
Transforming Wrexham into a club with huge ambitions of reaching the Premier League is their primary focus but they’ve also added other investments to their portfolio.
In April, it was revealed that the pair had invested shares in Mexican side Club Necaxa, who they are working with closely to build their profile in the game.
Last year, McElhenney and Reynolds expanded out to another sport by taking a 24% equity stake in Formula 1 team Alpine Racing – a team based in Britain.
Branching out to a different sport may have inspired the pair to look at the cricket market, with The Sun revealing they are considering buying into Hundred franchise Welsh Fire.
It is understood they’ve had meetings with ECB representatives and been invited to attend matches at this summer’s competition. The Welsh Fire would be one of be cheapest of the eight teams to buy, with sources involved in the talks valuing half the franchise at around £20m.
Wrexham are the trailblazers for their success
Looking back at when McElhenney and Reynolds first tookover Wrexham, many were sceptical about two American actors taking over a football club.
But over the past three years, they’ve proven the doubters wrong and dragged the Reds back into League One, a feat that wouldn’t have been possible without their investment and ambition.
Supporters are now feeling fortunate to have the Hollywood duo at the helm, while their success in football has allowed them to branch out elsewhere.
Formula 1 team Alpine Racing would have watched how they’ve transformed Wrexham and in a similar vein, cricket side Welsh Fire now want a slice of the pie.
It will be interesting to see whether negotiations are successful and whether they will continue their trend of being successful in the sporting space.