Wrexham are set to face Mansfield Town this weekend, months after snatching their number one summer transfer target.
Wrexham’s focus turns back to League One action this weekend with Phil Parkinson desperate for a victory.
Last weekend’s 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Harrogate Town was a huge disappointment with Wrexham falling flat against the League Two side.
Harrogate’s James Belshaw has predicted ‘bigger and better things’ for Wrexham but that was little consolation after a poor performance.
Wrexham have to hit back this weekend and face a tough test against Mansfield Town.
Nigel Clough’s side won promotion alongside Wrexham last season and sit just one place behind Parkinson’s side in the League One table.
- READ MORE: Who is Lewis Brunt? The ‘exceptional’ defender Wrexham have snapped up from Leicester City
Wrexham snatched Mansfield Town’s top target
Wrexham fared well against Mansfield last season.
A 0-0 draw away from home was followed up by beating the Stags 2-0 at the STōK Cae Ras back in March.
Wrexham pipped Mansfield to second place in the League Two table and then snatched their top transfer target.
Mansfield boss Clough admitted to BBC Sport in June that Mansfield had tabled a permanent bid for defender Lewis Brunt.
Brunt had spent last season on loan at Mansfield and Clough admitted that he was the ‘number one target’ for Mansfield.
“Negotiations are ongoing,” said Clough. “We put a bid in that was rejected. We might be too far apart in terms of their valuation and what we can pay, unfortunately. But we are certainly not ruling it out and he remains our number one target,” he added.
As Mansfield worked on a deal, Wrexham swooped in and signed Brunt, leaving Clough to admit that he just ‘can’t compete’ with Wrexham financially.
Peterborough United were interested too but chairman Darragh MacAnthony claims Wrexham offered Brunt £3,000-a-week more in wages, securing the deal as a result.
This was a prime example of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds having a huge influence with their financial backing helping Wrexham beat two League One rivals to sign Brunt from Leicester City.
- READ MORE: Phil Parkinson explains why forgotten Wrexham ace Lewis Brunt was absent from Harrogate Town defeat
Lewis Brunt struggling for action at Wrexham
Wrexham will have been delighted to win that race but Brunt has yet to really make an impact at the STōK Cae Ras.
The 23-year-old has made just one League One appearance this season, playing 21 minutes as a substitute against Northampton Town in October.
Brunt has recently suffered with a stomach bug, keeping him out of the Wrexham side against Harrogate.
Brunt will hopefully recover quickly but it’s unclear whether he will even be in the squad to face Mansfield this week.
Some may think that Brunt would have been better off at Mansfield, where he may have had a key first-team role, but he was a long-term signing for Wrexham – and he will get his chance eventually, he just needs to be patient and keep working hard to impress Parkinson.