Wrexham supporters will be excited about their team’s chances of promotion in 2024/25 with the season just days away from kicking off.
Wrexham are riding a crest following back-to-back promotions, taking them from the fifth tier of English football to League One in just two seasons.
Phil Parkinson is aiming to build on those foundations by solidifying their position in the third tier, or perhaps go one better by challenging near the top.
Owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds are constantly positive about their side’s chances of winning promotion.
They’ve backed Parkinson in this window with the funds to add six new players to his squad, including a return for goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.
Now, with a competitive squad at this level, the chance to create history is there to grasp, although it will be far from easy.
Why lower expectations can play into Wrexham’s hands in League One
In the National League and League Two, Wrexham were a big fish in a small pond. Last season, they averaged the second-highest home attendance, behind only Bradford City, and had by far the biggest budget of any club.
Now they’ve returned to League One after 19 years, the narrative for Wrexham has completely switched, with the Welsh side competing against Birmingham City, whose whopping £20 million budget is more than the majority of Championship clubs.
As a result, Birmingham are expected to storm the league as they’re signing Championship-level players such as Marc Leonard and Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
The Blues aren’t the only club that can outpower Wrexham in terms of size and stature, as Huddersfield, Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic are all bigger than the Welsh outfit.
With those sides, in particular, expected to battle for promotion, there is less pressure on Parkinson’s men to do so and this plays into their hands.
Unlike in previous seasons, Wrexham aren’t expected to finish in the top two – or even finish in the play-offs – and the money they’ve spent reflects that.
How Wrexham’s spending ranks in League One
As per Transfermarkt, several powerhouses in the division, including Birmingham, Charlton, Huddersfield, Bolton and Peterborough have all spent more than Wrexham this summer.
It is worth noting that most of the business Wrexham have done has been in the free transfer market, notably the arrivals of Okonkwo and George Dobson without paying a penny.
Therefore, given they’re a newly-promoted club who haven’t spent a great deal, expectations can be tempered while McElhenney and Reynolds can escape the idea that they’re buying their way up the divisions.
Many were under the allusion that lower down the pyramid, the Hollywood duo flexed their financial muscles. Of course, they had a wage budget that was far bigger and have attracted some big players, namely James McClean and Steven Fletcher but most of their business has been done on the cheap.
It tells a story when their signing of Ollie Palmer for £300,000 is a record that still stands and that was sanctioned in July 2023, during their days in the National League.