Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson is on the hunt for new blood this summer, and a new central midfielder looks like one of the things on his wishlist.
Already this summer, we’ve seen Phil Parkinson add a new striker to his ranks, with Ryan Hardie joining Wrexham from Plymouth Argyle.
It marks the start of a truly exciting and potentially fruitful summer transfer window for the Dragons after they sealed an incredible third-straight promotion.
Now, owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are ready to back Parkinson in the transfer market: it’s reported that Wrexham have a £25million transfer kitty for this summer.
Parkinson has spent £700,000 on the signing of Hardie and Wrexham could yet spend £3million on Tommy Doyle from Wolves, which would make him a record signing.
And Doyle could be one of a handful of central midfield additions this summer. There are a few linked with a move to the Racecourse, but one linked last year and who could yet be available this summer is Marc Leonard.
Wrexham 2024 transfer target Marc Leonard faces Birmingham City uncertainty
Last year, Wrexham were in the race to sign Leonard from Brighton. The Scottish midfielder, 24, was in high demand after a couple of promising loan spells at Northampton Town, but in the end, Birmingham City signed Leonard on a four-year deal.
Last season, Leonard played 34 times in League One for Blues. But he started just 14 of those games and Birmingham Live have now cast doubt over his immediate future at St Andrew’s, with Birmingham City set to spend big this summer.
They write that a new midfield signing at Birmingham City this summer ‘can’t be ruled out’ and suggest that Leonard’s game time would drop as a result. Whilst suggesting that he remains a player for the future, with three years on his deal, Birmingham Live even go on to suggest that manager Chris Davies was unhappy with Leonard’s performances last season.
“Davies has blasted and berated Leonard from the touchline at times in the way a teacher would scold their favourite pupil,” their report writes. “The look of disappointment Davies gave Leonard after he misplaced a pass in the victory over Stevenage in April would have hurt the Scot much more than any of the rollockings.”
3 reasons why Wrexham should plot ambitious move for Marc Leonard
Wrexham have already done their homework on him
Last summer it was reported that Leonard had six offers from Championship and League One clubs. Whether Wrexham made a bid in the end remains to be seen, but the Dragons were linked for a long time and it could be safe to assume that Parkinson and co did a lot of research on the player.
If that’s the case then Parkinson would only need to go through Leonard’s 2024/25 season before deciding whether he could make a move. If he still fits the bill for Wrexham then Parkinson could quickly put together a proposal.
He proved his class despite limited game time
Although Leonard was a bit part player for Blues last season, he recorded four assists. He managed to show his class, albeit in a dominant Birmingham City side, and playing in such a quality team surely improved him as a player.
He remains a prospect for Blues who’ve invested in the player and surely still hold him in high regards. Even though loaning him to Wrexham might be a controversial move, it could be a move that works out for everyone, especially if Birmingham City sign some new midfielders in the near future.
| Stat (league) | Leonard in 24/25 | George Dobson in 24/25 |
| Apps | 35 | 42 |
| Mins PG | 43 | 78 |
| Goals | 0 | 1 |
| Assists | 4 | 5 |
| Big chances created | 3 | 6 |
| Touches PG | 42.4 | 48 |
| Passes PG | 28.8 | 27.3 |
| Pass accuracy % | 85 | 77 |
Wrexham could even negotiate a loan-to-buy deal
Leading on from that point, if Blues sign some new central players than Leonard might not only drop down the pecking order, but completely out of favour, and they and indeed Leonard himself might decide that his longer-term future doesn’t lie at St Andrew’s.
For Wrexham and Birmingham City, a loan-to-buy deal could be one that suits both parties, though expect Blues to want an increase on what they paid, or at least what they paid for him. Last summer, reports suggested that Leonard left Brighton for around half-a-million pounds.