Wrexham could be about to smash their club record transfer on the signing of Lewis O’Brien, and if he does arrive for the rumoured £5million fee then he’d take a chunk out of the club’s summer transfer budget.
Wrexham’s summer transfer window has been a bit of a slow burner so far, with Phil Parkinson having welcomed just two new signings ahead of the club’s pre-season tour of Australia which gets underway this week.
And fans will be excited to see new signing Ryan Hardie given a run out. Wrexham signed Hardie for £700,000 from Plymouth Argyle and he becomes one of the club’s most expensive signings of all time, though not the most expensive.
Last January, Sam Smith became Wrexham’s most expensive signing ever at £2million. But recent reports have revealed how the Dragons could sign Lewis O’Brien from Nottingham Forest for more than twice the club record.
The latest on Lewis O’Brien to Wrexham
Wrexham have been interested in signing O’Brien throughout the summer so far. But the Forest man has plenty of other options and for a while it looked like O’Brien was close to joining Hull City, before the Tigers were placed under a transfer embargo, and a possible deal for O’Brien collapsed.
Subsequent reports revealed how Wrexham have agreed a £5million fee for O’Brien but that the 26-year-old’s wages remain a sticking point, and one that could yet see his potential move to the Racecourse this summer fall through.
Nonetheless, O’Brien to Wrexham certainly has legs. And his potential £5million arrival would take a significant portion of money out of Parkinson’s summer transfer budget: previous reports revealed how Wrexham have a £25million transfer budget for this summer.
Wrexham spending needs to be wise this summer
It remains widely expected that Wrexham will smash their club record transfer this summer. They could do so multiple times, but there are still a lot of positions in the side that need definite Championship quality bringing in and so if Wrexham do sign O’Brien this summer, then there might not be many more big money signings.
Taking away Hardie’s £700,000 fee and O’Brien’s possible £5million fee leaves Wrexham with £19.3million for the remainder of the summer transfer window: whether or not the club spends all of that remains to be seen. But Wrexham can spend £39million this summer and still remain within PSR guidelines.
More defenders, midfielders and maybe another striker is needed this summer. Pretty much a whole new spine if Wrexham are to compete again next season. And £19million is certainly a lot for a Championship team, but in this day and age, and for a Wrexham side whose finances are quite publicly healthy, player price tags can quickly sky rocket.
There’s also January that will no doubt prove crucial for Wrexham wherever they are in the table come then. Expect more spending this summer, but cautious spending.