While Wrexham don’t play until tomorrow afternoon, fans can still potentially learn a lot about the club’s plans for the rest of the transfer window by watching Liverpool vs Bournemouth tonight.
The return of the Premier League is obviously a big deal for the wider world of football, and though Wrexham aren’t in the top flight just yet, there is still plenty for the Red Dragons to pay attention to in the division above.
Phil Parkinson will obviously be putting all of his focus on the clash with West Brom on Saturday, but his scouting team should have their eyes on the Premier League opener between Liverpool and Bournemouth.
Wrexham have now signed nine players this summer and spent more than £21m, but there’s still speculation they may add more, and it could all depend on the team selections of Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola.
Lewis Koumas and Chris Mepham will know where they stand tonight
Lewis Koumas is a player Wrexham have been linked with for a while now. The young winger enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with Stoke City last season, and is now ready to go again with another team.
Liverpool want Koumas to get guaranteed first-team football and that is likely to dictate where he goes this summer. It’s thought a number of Championship clubs are rivalling Wrexham for the Welsh starlet.
He’s unlikely to make the starting line-up on Friday night, but there’s every chance Koumas will find himself on the Liverpool bench. If he does, that could complicate matters, especially if he’s brought on at any point.
Players can only play for two teams in a season, so if Koumas registers any minutes for Liverpool against Bournemouth, it will mean the Reds have to be absolutely certain they’re sending him to the right club for his loan move.
Meanwhile, Chris Mepham emerged as a Wrexham target this week (and an expensive one at that). The central defender returned to Bournemouth this summer after a successful loan spell with Sunderland in 2024/25, but it’s still unclear whether he will move on or stick with the Cherries.
Iraola has seen his defensive line depleted this summer with Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, and Ilya Zabarnyi all moving on. That could mean Mepham is needed for the trip to Anfield and beyond, and if he does start this game, Wrexham may have to give up on their hopes of signing him.
Wrexham don’t really need Lewis Koumas, but Chris Mepham would be an ideal signing
Ironically, Lewis Koumas would seem to be the far more attainable transfer target right now given Liverpool are keen for him to get experience out on loan, but he’s not actually that suitable for Wrexham’s needs.
Parkinson usually plays a 3-5-2 formation, which leaves little room for wingers to operate. Indeed, the potential of Koumas joining Wrexham has raised concerns for one Liverpool expert, who claims he would be a peripheral figure unless the Red Dragons were to change their whole system.
In contrast, Mepham would be an absolute dream signing for Wrexham, but is likely to be very difficult to obtain. With high wages and a selling club desperate for defensive depth, we’d be very surprised if Mepham were to move on any time soon.
However, if Wrexham could get him in, they’d have one of the best centre-halves in the division from last season, and a player who has top flight and international experience (for Wales, no less).
One way or another, we’ll know a lot more about these two transfer targets come Saturday morning.