Wrexham landed a new striker on Monday evening, and Phil Parkinson could now turn his attention to other positions.
Phil Parkinson added two new strikers during the transfer window as Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith signed for Wrexham.
The step up in quality to the Championship means Wrexham targeted another striker, and Parkinson landed his man on Monday.
Wrexham snapped up Ryan Hardie from Plymouth Argyle, adding a proven Championship goalscorer to Parkinson’s squad.
The attention will soon turn to Wrexham’s next addition, with a host of names emerging in the rumour mill.
Barry Bannan is now believed to be on Wrexham’s radar, and that claim certainly makes sense when thinking about other rumours.
Phil Parkinson appears to be prioritising a left-footed midfielder for Wrexham
Bannan is a free agent this summer and has been offered a new contract to stay with Sheffield Wednesday.
The veteran Scot has played over 400 games for Wednesday and could now move on amid financial difficulties at Hillsborough.
Bannan is yet another experienced head being linked with a move to Wrexham, but he’s also yet another left-footed midfielder on the wish list.
Tom Cairney is considering an offer from Wrexham and Nottingham Forest’s Lewis O’Brien is wanted by Parkinson.
Wrexham have also eyed Charlie Savage, with the Reading midfielder emerging as a target for an emotional move to his family’s hometown.
Add in Bannan and that is four left-footed midfielders believed to be on Wrexham’s radar.
Right-footed midfielders haven’t been linked nearly as regularly, which perhaps isn’t a huge surprise given the number of right-footers already at Parkinson’s disposal.
Parkinson seems determined to add a left-footed midfielder one way or another, and with Cairney weighing up staying at Fulham, Bannan could become the focus.
Parkinson may be tempted to add two left-footers
One left-footed signing appears to be a clear plan for Parkinson, but the profiles of the targets leave us to wonder about two additions.
Cairney and Bannan are two experienced performers at Championship level and have been part of promotion-chasing teams in the past.
Both players possess creativity and offer a threat from set-pieces, with Parkinson potentially viewing them both as fairly short-term impact players.
Savage and O’Brien are much younger; 22 and 26, respectively.
Whereas Cairney and Bannan are free agents, Savage and O’Brien would require decent investment from Wrexham in terms of fees and wages.
The idea of signing an experienced midfielder on a free transfer alongside investing in a longer-term signing is an interesting one, and something Parkinson may well have considered.
Wrexham need more quality from midfield in the Championship, and Parkinson’s push for balance in his midfield three may yet see Wrexham make two signings rather than just the one.