Wrexham are looking to strengthen their striker ranks this summer with a £2m player one option being looked at.
The Red Dragons went big in January, signing Sam Smith in a record transfer deal from League One rivals Reading.
On the same day as Smith’s arrival, Wrexham also brought in Jay Rodriguez on a free transfer from Burnley.
Smith went on to score seven league goals in the last three months of the campaign, helping the club clinch promotion.
Meanwhile, Wrexham fans hit out at Rodriguez on several occasions for his displays. The forward scored twice in 2024/25, with both goals coming via the penalty spot (one was a rebound from a missed spot-kick).
Now, competing in the Championship, it would make sense for the club to be looking at providing better competition for Rodriguez, and there are three reasons why one target should be signed.
Wrexham interest in Plymouth Argyle’s Ryan Hardie
Wrexham are interested in signing Ryan Hardie from Plymouth Argyle in the summer transfer window.
It comes after previous interest in the Plymouth forward in the January transfer window.
When links first emerged, it was shared that Hardie has a £2m release clause, which would make him Wrexham’s second most expensive signing just behind Smith (£2.02m)
Three reasons for Wrexham to activate Ryan Hardie release clause
- Ryan Hardie goalscoring record:
One thing Wrexham struggled with for large parts of 2024/25, especially prior to Smith signing, was scoring goals.
The ex-Reading man did end up with seven in three months, but aside from him, there aren’t too many goals in the team, especially after Steven Fletcher left.
The 6ft 2 Hardie, meanwhile, scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 37 league matches for Plymouth last season – more than every single Wrexham centre-forward despite playing a level higher.
This comes despite the fact that the Greens had a woeful season and were relegated down to League One.
- Ryan Hardie wage:
With Wrexham now targeting a higher quality of player, the fees needed to land certain targets are pretty high.
Ben Davies takes home £80,000-a-week at Tottenham Hotspur right now, while Danny Ings has been earning £65,000-a-week at West Ham United.
However, Capology reports that Hardie is currently netting just £5,000-a-week at Plymouth.
He’ll probably want an increase when completing a transfer, but it’s unlikely he’ll suddenly start trying to demand anywhere close to what targets like Ings and Davies are already on.
- Ryan Hardie Championship proven:
If Wrexham are going to perform well in their first-ever Championship season, they will need players already proven at that level.
At present, the majority of their striker options have seen little game time in the second tier, and when they have, they’ve struggled.
Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer have never played in the second division, Modou Faal has made one appearance, Smith has one goal in eight outings, and Jack Marriott has 19 goals in 111 games.
Rodriguez’s record is the best with 66 goals in 204 ties, but he only scored twice in 20 appearances for Burnley in the first half of last season before moving to Wrexham.
Hardie, meanwhile, has 22 goals and seven assists in 77 Championship matches.