Wrexham fans may remember Jonathan Walters from his playing days at the STōK Cae Ras, but he is now a direct Championship rival.
Wrexham’s Championship fixture list has really hammered home the scale of the task at hand for Phil Parkinson.
Southampton are Wrexham’s first opponents and the former Premier League teams just keep coming.
West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield Wednesday, Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, Derby County, Leicester City, Birmingham City… and this is just in the first 10 games!
The final match of that opening 10-game run sees Wrexham travel to take on Stoke City.
This will be one of Wrexham’s shortest journeys of the season and fans will be flocking to the Potteries for a big away day.
Former Wrexham striker Jonathan Walters leading Stoke City transfers
Stoke have failed to secure a single top-half finish in the Championship since relegation from the Premier League in 2018.
So many managers have passed through Stoke with little success, and their transfer outlay over the last seven years has been pretty astonishing.
A former Wrexham man is now leading Stoke’s transfer business after Jonathan Walters was appointed as their sporting director in 2024.
Walters joined Wrexham from Hull City back in 2005, spending just one year with the club as he scored five goals in 38 games.
Walters moved on to bitter rivals Chester City before becoming a star with Ipswich Town and Stoke City.
Few Wrexham fans would have predicted a Premier League career for Walters after his brief spell at the STōK Cae Ras, but he enjoyed a remarkable rise.
The former Republic of Ireland international is now back with Stoke and is looking to oversee a positive summer window.
Jonathan Walters snaps up Wrexham target Maksym Talovierov
Stoke have now snapped up Maksym Talovierov, landing the Ukrainian defender from relegated Plymouth Argyle.
Wrexham had been eyeing Talovierov according to reports in his native Ukraine, with the centre-back making a big impact after joining Argyle from Austrian side LASK.
The Potters won the race and Walters has celebrated the deal on Stoke’s official website.
Walters believes that Talovierov will be ‘crucial and integral’ to Stoke’s squad and a perfect addition to the heart of the back line.
Talovierov is a natural fit at Stoke in Walters’ eyes, and he believes Stoke supporters will love him.
“Bringing in a central defender of Maxi’s calibre is clearly a crucial and integral piece of business for the Club as we continue to build towards the new season,” said Walters.
“When you look at our two signings so far with Sorba Thomas as well, these are players with international pedigree who are capable of driving Stoke City forward for the long-term, and that was an important aspect of bringing them to the Club.
“In my eyes, Maxi is a Stoke City player. He plays with his heart as well as his head, so he is very much in-keeping with what our supporters love to see from their players, and he already has valuable experience of Championship football under his belt as well.
“He thrives on having shared energy and connection with the crowd, and that’s something I’m really looking forward to seeing with our fans when the new season gets underway,” he added.
Talovierov represents a major addition for Stoke, and he will be in line to play against Wrexham twice this coming season.