No one can accuse Wrexham of sleepwalking through this summer transfer window, with six new signings already vastly improving Phil Parkinson’s squad; but who is the best new arrival?
After making the step up from League One to the Championship, it was obvious Wrexham would need to add to their squad significantly if they were to stand a chance of competing in the second tier.
Sticking true to their word, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have given Phil Parkinson sufficient backing so far this summer.
And with a potential £7.5m deal for Nathan Broadhead still to come, we could be looking at a drastically different Wrexham by the end of the transfer window.
But, with one month to go until deadline day, who’s been the best Wrexham signing this summer so far?
Who is the best of Wrexham’s summer signings?
6. Danny Ward
We were surprised when Wrexham signed Danny Ward. The veteran Welsh goalkeeper didn’t exactly set the world alight at Leicester City and there’s no way he’s going to oust Arthur Okonkwo in the Wrexham goal.
Fans are already not impressed with Ward after his debut against Sydney FC, and even though he was a free transfer, his massive wages could end up making Ward a very costly mistake in the market for Wrexham.
5. Liberato Cacace
The folks at the Second Tier podcast have backed Liberato Cacace to be a key player for Wrexham, but frankly, we just can’t see it. The New Zealand wing-back will be competing with James McClean for a starting spot, and we all know how important the skipper will be this season.
Cacace is a decent player, and he could well surprise us all. But for now, he looks like a very expensive marketing ploy to keep fans happy Down Under.
4. George Thomason
Wrexham made it something of a priority to add more quality to the middle of the park, and snapping up one of Bolton Wanderers’ top talents in George Thomason went a long way towards solving that need.
Thomason has been tipped to play in the Premier League one day, and he’s certainly an exciting addition. He’ll have to fight for his place at Wrexham and may not quite have a huge impact right away, but he’s the kind of squad player any manager would love to have.
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3. Lewis O’Brien
Wrexham broke their transfer record to sign Lewis O’Brien, and there’s no denying he’s probably the best player at the club right now in terms of overall quality. The only thing stopping him being at the top of this list is the fact he cost £5m.
Whether that’s good value for money or not remains to be seen, but we assume it probably will be. O’Brien will go straight into the starting line-up and gives Wrexham top flight experience, authority, and technical flair.
2. Ryan Hardie
Wrexham’s first signing of the summer is looking like one of their best already. Ryan Hardie arrived from recently relegated Plymouth Argyle for just £700,000, which is a bargain considering he scored ten goals in the Championship last season for a struggling team.
He’s already bagged one in pre-season, and while another striker may arrive, we’re backing Hardie to play regularly for Parkinson and deliver a solid output in front of goal.
1. Josh Windass
The best signing of the summer for Wrexham is obvious. So obvious, in fact, that we’ll give you five reasons Josh Windass is the best.
First of all, he cost Wrexham absolutely nothing, so his value for money is through the roof. He also comes with lots of Championship experience, he’s versatile across the front line, and he’s a highly creative and productive player.
With 13 goals in the Championship last season (including some ‘sensational’ strikes), we know Windass can contribute on the field. But, he’s also a big personality off it, who will bring character, grit, and a drive to the dressing room. One thing’s for sure, Rob and Ryan are going to love Windass.