Wrexham will sign a raft of new players in the transfer window, leaving several in Phil Parkinson’s squad needing to prove a point.
Wrexham fans were left feeling excited after Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds pulled off the acquisition of Arthur Okonkwo.
The towering goalkeeping left an ever-lasting impression on supporters last term as the 22-year-old had a barnstorming campaign at the Racecourse Ground.
Released for free by Arsenal, Okonkwo signed a three-year deal at Wrexham, with fans now feeling positive about the summer ahead.
Phil Parkinson still needs at least five new players through the door to beef out their talented squad, and whilst that is an exciting prospect, it leaves several players needing to prove a point.
Here are three who must do exactly that…
Will Boyle
Captured on a three-year contract from Huddersfield Town last summer, centre-back Will Boyle is one player with a point to prove.
The 28-year-old was in and out of the starting XI as Wrexham clinched promotion to League One and earned mixed reviews for his performances.
Whilst some lambasted him for his red card against Newport County, others were left impressed by his die-hard approach to defending.
Putting his body on the line where it hurts, Boyle featured 24 times in the league but didn’t play in any of their final five games as Parkinson preferred a trio of Eoghan O’Connell, Max Cleworth and Tom O’Connor.
That leaves Boyle in a position where he needs to fight for his starting place, especially if Parkinson completes a defensive signing.
Luke Bolton
Luke Bolton was instantly expected to dislodge Ryan Barnett from the right wing-back role when he arrived from Salford City in January.
To sign the Manchester City academy graduate from a League Two rival was seen as a coup however, his displays in a Wrexham jersey have often flattered to deceive.
Starting just five of a possible 19 matches, Bolton didn’t have the impact that many envisaged, with the 24-year-old assisting five times in 20 appearances for Salford.
Whilst he played as a winger for the Ammies, Parkinson deployed him as a wing-back and defensively he wasn’t brilliant, with the Wrexham boss preferring to use Barnett.
Ahead of pre-season, Bolton will be in a similar battle with his opposite number and will use pre-season friendlies against Premier League opposition, Chelsea and Bournemouth, to prove his worth.
Jack Marriott
Jack Marriott was signed as an understudy to Paul Mullin on transfer deadline day in January.
A former Golden Boot winner with Peterborough United in League One and famous for scoring that goal against Leeds United, Marriott hasn’t lived up to the hype of his arrival – and that isn’t all down to him.
Parkinson prefers to use a tall and physical striker alongside Mullin, which left the 29-year-old resigned to sitting on the bench.
That is a narrative that is unlikely to change in League One as Marriott battles for a starting spot ahead of the Liverpudlian.
The ‘incredible’ striker – as previously dubbed by Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony – does at least have the pedigree of playing in the third tier, having scored a respectable 45 goals in 114 appearances.
Compare that to Mullin’s three in 20 for Tranmere Rovers, and Marriott may have a chance to at least start more than three times for Wrexham next term.