Phil Parkinson axed Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer and another player could quickly follow in their footsteps.
Wrexham have made big changes to their squad this summer, most notably letting go of two club icons.
Paul Mullin has joined Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan deal from the Red Dragons.
Ollie Palmer left Wrexham for free, having his contract terminated so he could secure a move to Swindon Town.
The duo had previously been two of Phil Parkinson’s most important players but the Dragons’ rise up the EFL meant they quickly fell out of favour.
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Why don’t Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer play for Wrexham
Palmer started the season in the eleven, playing alongside Jack Marriott while Mullin was still injured.
The latter returned to fitness in the first half of 2024/25 and went on to score three goals in League One.
However, Parkinson dropped Mullin and Palmer after a 3-2 defeat to Stevenage on January 28, 2025.
This summer, the Wrexham manager explained why the duo lost their places in the squad.
When discussing why the club legends stopped being selected, he named two main reasons, which were the signing of new strikers and a lack of goals.
Parkinson said: “When we brought two strikers in January, we always knew we’d have a surplus of, and people would find themselves out of the 18-man squad because you can only have seven substitutes.
“That’s the way it is. Mulls didn’t just quite get the goals, which he normally does, and I thought he had a good start to the season, and his general performances were decent, but the goals just didn’t come, and we just needed more from the player in that number nine role.
“So Paul and Ollie found themselves out of the 18-man squad. It’s a harder level than we’d been operating at. So, both good lads, really good lads, have carried on training well for us. But it’s tough, it’s a competitive division, to make the step up is not easy.”
Those reasons should now be of concern to another Wrexham player still at the club.
Jay Rodriguez should be worried about Wrexham future
Jay Rodriguez was one of the aforementioned strikers who was signed to replace Palmer and Mullin.
He, along with Sam Smith, featured in every League One fixture last season after arriving on January 31.
Parkinson called Rodriguez ‘extraordinary’ previously. However, while he’s been at the Racecourse Ground for less than a year, his stint there already looks to be following the same path as Palmer and Mullin.
Wrexham have signed four new attackers in the last few months, all of whom look to be ahead of Rodriguez in the pecking order.
- Kieffer Moore (from Sheffield United)
- Ryan Hardie (from Plymouth Argyle)
- Josh Windass (from Sheffield Wednesday)
- Nathan Broadhead (from Ipswich Town)
As well as facing fresh competition from new striker signings, Rodriguez, like Mullin and Palmer last season, hasn’t scored a ton of goals since joining.
He netted twice for Wrexham last term, with both efforts coming from penalties, one being a rebound after he missed a spot-kick.
In turn, the ex-Burnley attacker may already have succumbed to the same fate as Mullin and Palmer, given the reasons Parkinson outlined for those players being axed.