Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds made some big transfer calls at Wrexham during the 2024 summer window.
The Wrexham owners were not shy about spending big during the 2024 summer transfer window.
With League One awaiting the club for the first time, Phil Parkinson was able to bring nine new players to the Racecourse Ground in the most recent window.
Several of those names have already become key figures for the Wrexham manager, and Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds should be pleased with how they have fared.
George Dobson has been a revelation at Wrexham since he completed a move from League One rivals, Charlton Athletic.
Elsewhere, goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has been backed to go to the top after re-signing for the Red Dragons on a permanent basis from Premier League powerhouse, Arsenal.
While that duo have shone in 2024/25 so far though, a couple of summer additions are yet to prove their worth.
Ollie Rathbone yet to prove himself at Wrexham
One new face yet to live up to the hype since moving to Wales over the summer is Ollie Rathbone.
Wrexham broke their transfer record to sign Rathbone from Rotherham United, paying out £500,000.
That record was then broken once more by the late addition of Modou Faal but it was still a huge sum paid out by McElhenney and Reynolds.
So far though, Rathbone has failed to prove himself in a Wrexham shirt, being afforded just 199 minutes of League One action.
The midfielder has played as a second striker and in the Elliot Lee role on occasion but Parkinson has been told not to play Rathbone as a number 10, with it instead suggested he is best suited to a box-to-box role.
Next five Wrexham games will make or break Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds transfer decision
Some players do need time to settle in at their new clubs but now we are entering the hectic winter period, it may be make-or-break time for Rathbone.
It is hard to judge the 28-year-old too harshly right now as he has seen very little playing time and has not been played in his favoured role.
However, Andy Cannon is one of the lowest-rated Wrexham players this season and may see his game time reduced in the coming weeks, opening the door for Rathbone to start more.
The Red Dragons face an away trip to Rathbone’s former club Rotherham this weekend before a home meeting with Huddersfield Town, an away fixture versus Charlton Athletic, an FA Cup clash with Harrogate Town and a huge game against Mansfield Town on November 9th.
With Cannon out of form and five games in three weeks now on the horizon, Rathbone should finally be given a run in the side, and how well he plays will give a good indication of whether or not McElhenney’s and Reynolds’ decision to break Wrexham’s transfer record for him proved a wise one.