Wrexham are pushing to complete another exciting transfer this week, but who would benefit from Juan Camilo Portilla joining the Red Dragons?
The list of confirmed Wrexham transfers this summer is getting bigger by the day. Last week alone, we saw George Thomason, Josh Windass, and Lewis O’Brien come through the door.
Those signings are a real signal of intent for Wrexham ahead of the new campaign, but it seems Phil Parkinson and co. are not finished yet.
Over the weekend, talk of a move for Juan Camilo Portilla emerged, with the Colombian star linked with a £4m move to Wrexham. So, let’s look at who wins if that move goes through, and who may be less happy with the deal.
Who wins if Wrexham sign Juan Camilo Portilla?
Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds
The Wrexham owners have turned the club into a commercial behemoth already, punching way above their weight class when it comes to sponsorship deals and revenue.
After the recent tour of Australia and New Zealand, it’s safe to say Wrexham have a strong foothold Down Under as well as being a household name in North America.
With Portilla, Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds could get one foot in the door with the South American market, and expand the Wrexham brand even more.
Phil Parkinson
Going into the summer, there were concerns over Wrexham’s squad depth and the amount of quality options available to Phil Parkinson.
After the recent spate of signings and with Portilla also appearing to be in line for a move, Parkinson would no longer be worried about his squad.
That’s especially true in the middle of the park, where Wrexham would be truly blessed with a plethora of options. Indeed, if anything, the Wrexham squad is getting too big, and Parkinson will have to make tough decisions on who to axe.
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The losers if Wrexham sign Juan Camilo Portilla
Matty James
Speaking of players being axed, you’d have to fear for the future of the likes of Matty James, as well as Andy Cannon and George Evans. The latter were used sparingly last season, and were always going to struggle with the step up to the Championship.
James featured 32 times for Wrexham in League One, but he came in for criticism at times for his lack of dynamism and for being relatively anonymous in the midfield area.
Frankly, there’s no way that the 34-year-old gets much game time from here on out. Given his age, and his fairly high wages, you’d assume James is someone Wrexham would be keen to move on this summer to make space for new arrivals.
George Thomason
Just last week, we were thinking about the winners and losers from George Thomason’s move to Wrexham. Now, the former Bolton man will be looking over his own shoulder at Portilla and wondering what this means for his own place in the pecking order.
Obviously, Thomason has been signed for a reason, and he will have a part to play. But, with Lewis O’Brien being Wrexham’s record signing and having top flight pedigree, he will be nailed on to start.
Thomason may well have to settle for a rotation role in the squad if Portilla comes in. Although, to be fair, given he’s coming up from League One, that’s not wholly unfair anyway.