Ryan Barnett has established himself as one of Wrexham’s most valuable players since arriving in February 2023.
The Red Dragons landed Ryan Barnett from Solihull Moors for an undisclosed fee as they looked to get over the line in their quest for National League promotion.
The Englishman has stepped up massively for Wrexham in the last year or so, quickly becoming one of their most dangerous attacking outlets.
Barnett has two goals and eight assists in 29 League One fixtures this term – the most of any player in the division.
As is to be expected given his form, however, the 25-year-old has received some unwanted transfer interest in 2024/25.
Rangers were linked with Barnett in late 2024, while he also had interest from a couple of teams in the Championship.
Wrexham could sign MLS icon to cover Ryan Barnett
The right-wing-back has since signed a new contract but even still, Barnett’s Wrexham future was questioned recently by journalist Rich Fay when discussing the recent arrival of Ryan Longman.
He said: “It even maybe gives you a bit of protection in case there was an offer for Barnett this summer then? And then we’ve heard the rumours of interest in the Championship.”
Should Barnett end up being poached, which could well happen if Wrexham don’t go up, it will be tough to find a replacement with as much attacking threat as him.
However, there’s a free agent currently available who could be the ideal fit and should be well-known to the club’s American fanbase.
The man in question is Carlos Vela, who has been without a team since January 1st 2025 after leaving Los Angeles FC.
Carlos Vela stats
Vela is not an overly experienced defender but, much like Barnett, could be converted into a right-wing-back.
He’s played the majority of his career games off the right wing and has scored a very impressive 191 goals while providing 110 assists in 576 matches.
For LA FC, he netted 93 times and assisted 54 in 189 matches while also helping the American outfit win the MLS Cup in 2022 and two Supporters’ Shield awards.
Vela would likely cost a fair bit in wages, but Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have proven on numerous occasions they are willing to back Wrexham financially.