Wrexham are just days away from kicking off their 2025-26 campaign with their first pre-season friendly.
Wrexham’s 30-man squad face Melbourne Victory in their opening game of the tour down under and Phil Parkinson will be keen to cast an eye over his players.
James McClean has sent a strong message to the Wrexham squad in claiming the Red Dragons are there to work and not on ‘holiday’.
Parkinson has hinted at imminent arrivals and following interest in Owen Beck to bolster defensive options, the club have been linked with another player from Serie A.
Wrexham are interested in Liberato Cacace from Empoli and the left back is highly sought after following an impressive season in Italy. Wrexham Insider takes a look at the potential impact Cacace’s arrival would have on the current state of play.
Winners from a Liberato Cacace transfer to Wrexham
Ryan Hardie
Wrexham signed Ryan Hardie from Plymouth Argyle this summer after chasing the forward back in the January transfer window.
Hardie has bags of Championship experience and comes into the club having notched ten goals in the league last campaign.
The striker will want to hit the ground running and one of Cacace’s biggest weapons at Empoli was his ability to cross the ball.
Cacace bagged five assists for the Serie A strugglers last season and Wrexham’s new centre forward will be licking his lips at the prospect of the quality service the 24-year-old could provide.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have transformed the club since arriving back in 2021 and could be about to break yet more history in North Wales.
Wrexham’s owners vowed to be ‘aggressive’ in the summer window and so far, there have been two sensible acquisitions through the door.
However, should the club splash around £3.5m on Cacace, the New Zealand international would be the club’s first major overseas signing of the Rob and Ryan era.
It may open up a whole new fanbase too, Cacace is in line to be selected for the All Whites at next summer’s FIFA World Cup.
Phil Parkinson
Parkinson’s Championship record leaves a lot to be desired and the Wrexham boss will be desperate to change that this season.
He knows that he requires a sprinkling of new faces this summer in order to add quality depth to his squad and Cacace would be a real coup.
There may be some reservations over having not played in England before, however, the Empoli man has proven he has the ability in Italy’s top flight.
Losers from a Liberato Cacace transfer to Wrexham
Sebastian Revan
Sebastian Revan was disappointing during his first season at the Racecourse Ground after arriving with so much promise and expectation.
There were periods in the season where Revan showed signs that he could make an impact on the squad, however, he did not perform consistently well enough to dislodge James McClean.
Should Cacace arrive, it would likely mean that Revan falls further down the pecking order on the left-hand side and opportunities would be limited.
A loan move away from the club could be his best solution this summer with the club clearly interested in bringing in another left-sided defender.
Jacob Mendy
Jacob Mendy has been a magnificent servant for the Red Dragons and has been part of every promotion from the National League.
Opportunities were very limited last season and he will surely look to find a new adventure this summer in order to find regular first-team football.
Parkinson wants to sell Mendy and the arrival of another left-sided player in Cacace would surely signal the end for the 28-year-old.