Wrexham may be handed an unexpected boost in their promotion hunt come January.
The Red Dragons returned to League One for the first time in 20 years this season and have made a flying start.
Wrexham face Exeter City this weekend and go into the latest round of fixtures third in the division.
However, while it has been a largely positive start for Phil Parkinson’s men, they are still by no means guaranteed promotion to the Championship in 2024/25.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been told why Wrexham will not win the League One title in the current season, with Birmingham City instead favourites to do so.
Birmingham are second in the table at present but have two games in hand on the Welsh side and will overtake first-place Wycombe Wanderers if they win their game in hand on them.
It is not just the Tom Brady-owned club and Wycombe that Wrexham are battling for promotion with, however.
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Wrexham promotion rival could be weakened in January transfer window
At present, there are just five points separating third-place Wrexham and Bolton Wanderers, who sit 11th in the division.
And as a number of those sides have at least one game in hand on Parkinson’s men, the Hollywood-owned club will need all the help they can get when it comes to, at the very least, ending 2024/25 in the top six.
One way Wrexham’s promotion push could now be helped in January is by Stockport County losing Louie Barry.
Barry, on loan from Aston Villa, has been linked with a move to Premier League duo Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.
Now, speaking to Football League World, Carlton Palmer thinks Villa could well recall the striker from Stockport this winter in order to sell him.
He said: “He’s [Barry] a top quality player, who knows where the back of the net is. Apparently, Tottenham and Leicester City want Barry, Aston Villa have recalled players in the past, and they could do this to sell him.
“Obviously, he’s a huge, huge talent, and he scores goals. Of course it’s a concern for Stockport County.
“So, we’ll have to see. Obviously, the more Barry keeps scoring goals, the more he keeps playing the way that he’s playing, of course there’s going to be interest in his services.”
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Why Wrexham will want Louie Barry transfer
Barry being recalled by Aston Villa this winter would no doubt be music to the ears of Wrexham.
Stockport are only one point adrift of the Red Dragons after beating them 1-0 last weekend and, of course, it was Barry who scored the only goal of the game.
The 21-year-old has 11 goals and one assist in 16 league outings this term and losing him would be a massive blow for Stockport.
2024/25 is not the first season Barry has tormented Wrexham either, with the striker scoring one and assisting one in a League Two meeting between these sides last campaign when he was on loan from Villa.