Wrexham kick off their League One campaign at home to Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday, with Phil Parkinson still not finished in the transfer window.
It’s been a very productive pre-season for Wrexham, who rounded off their preparations with a 1-0 win over Fleetwood Town last weekend.
This result came after they hammered Hanley Town 5-1 before going unbeaten on their ‘Wrex Coast Tour’, achieving draws against Chelsea and Bournemouth while thrashing Vancouver Whitecaps.
Phil Parkinson has overhauled his squad since returning to the third tier by successfully offloading some of their fringe players and adding six to his side.
Dan Scarr – who arrived from Plymouth Argyle – was their most recent acquisition, while Parkinson has also signed Arthur Okonkwo, Callum Burton, Lewis Brunt, Sebastian Revan and George Dobson.
Wrexham can be happy with the business they’ve done however, there are still some creases that need ironing out.
Here are things that must happen at Wrexham in August…
Sign a Paul Mullin rival
Parkinson has made his intentions of signing a striker to rival Paul Mullin very clear.
Although his star man is set to return to training on Thursday, it’s unlikely he’ll be risked ahead of Wycombe on Saturday and needs time to get up to speed following surgery.
That means Parkinson is looking to sign another centre-forward this summer and the profile is very clear. He wants to sign a young striker on loan, resulting in links to Tottenham’s Will Lankshear, Fulham’s Kieron Bowie and Sheffield Wednesday gem Bailey Cadamarteri.
All three remain firmly on their radar however, it remains to be seen whether a deal for either can be completed before the deadline.
Offload several fringe players
In the summer, Wrexham released eight of their first-team players, including captain Luke Young and defensive titan Ben Tozer.
Following successive promotions, there are still some individuals in Parkinson’s squad who need offloading.
For instance, striker Billy Waters has no future at the club after not featuring for a single minute in pre-season while midfielder Jordan Davies is wanted by Grimsby Town.
Waters and Davies aren’t the only two who could be on the chopping block, with Sam Dalby and Jake Bickerstaff also likely to be loaned out or sold if an offer comes in.
Carry momentum across from last season
Wrexham are set to face a baptism of fire in League One.
In their opening four fixtures in August, they play Peterborough and Bolton away from home; two sides that finished in the play-offs last season.
However, after ending their promotion-winning campaign with five straight wins, Wrexham must carry that momentum into the third tier, especially after going unbeaten in pre-season.
A strong start in 2024/25 could see the Reds launch an early push for promotion and that could set the tone for a successful season.
Keep eyes peeled on Premier League loan market
As the transfer window draws to a close, Premier League clubs will be keen to offload some of their youngsters to clubs lower down the pyramid.
The Reds have already shown an interest in Lankshear from Tottenham, who will want to experience a regular taste of first-team football.
Parkinson must keep his eyes peeled on the loan market as he’s been able to strike gold previously.
Last summer, Wrexham signed Okonkwo from Arsenal on deadline day and the rest, as they say, is history.
The 22-year-old had a fantastic campaign at the Racecourse Ground and has since made his move permanent.
Sign a midfielder to challenge Elliot Lee
Elliot Lee is Wrexham’s talismanic figure from midfield. The 29-year-old has scored 28 goals in his previous two campaigns, including 16 in League Two.
Lee is vitally important to the threat that Wrexham carry going forward and is therefore indispensable to Parkinson.
However, towards the end of 2023/24, the West Ham academy graduate began to show signs of fatigue but there wasn’t anyone who could replace him.
Parkinson must use the final weeks of the window to sign a similar player to Lee, who can drive from midfield and contribute in the final third.