The 2024/25 season is not done yet but the future of Paul Mullin is already being discussed.
When his career does eventually draw to a close, Paul Mullin will be remembered as a Wrexham legend.
He has over 100 goals for the club and has finished as their top scorer in the previous three campaigns en route to back-to-back promotions.
However, Phil Parkinson has opted to drop both he and Ollie Palmer from the League One squad since a 3-2 defeat to Stevenage in January.
Mullin and Palmer had transfer interest in the January window, and speculation is once again beginning to ramp up over their futures going into the summer.
The duo have 24 and 12 months remaining on their respective contracts, but after so little game time in the second half of 2024/25, what the next few months hold remains to be seen.
Former player Wayne Phillips thinks that Mullin and Palmer will leave Wrexham in the next transfer window, saying recently: “It will cost them to get rid of a few. I can’t see Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer at the club next season.”
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Championship rules could help Paul Mullin Wrexham career
However, while promotion to the Championship may not initially seem like the best thing for Mullin’s chances of getting back into the team, two rules could benefit him and other fringe stars.
In League One, teams can only register a maximum of 22 players to be eligible to play in league fixtures.
They are also only allowed to name seven players on the bench in any given matchday squad.
This has seen Parkinson opting to select two strikers – usually Steven Fletcher and Jack Marriott – as substitutes in recent weeks.
However, now they are set to be competing in the Championship come 2025/26, Wrexham can register a 25-man squad and, perhaps more crucially, can name as many as nine players on the bench for league matches.
This could allow the likes of Mullin and Palmer, if they are not sold, to finally start returning to league squads next season, and even if they don’t start straight away, a chance off the bench could be just what they need to get back into contention for regular minutes.
Paul Mullin will benefit from a pre-season
Mullin has scored three league goals in 2024/25, a big drop from what we have seen from the number nine in previous years.
However, it’s worth pointing out that the 30-year-old has not had a proper pre-season for some time.
He missed the first six league matches of 2023/24 with a problem, and Mullin was injured over the summer as well, not returning until August 24 versus Reading.
The importance of a full pre-season is perhaps overlooked by many, but if the striker can remain fit over the coming months, it will hopefully see him back to his best once 2025/26 gets underway.