Wrexham face a big summer transfer window having secured promotion to League One, returning to the third tier for the first time since 2005.
The last few years have been an absolute whirlwind for Wrexham with Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds completely changing the trajectory of the club.
Last year’s promotion from the National League saw Wrexham return to League Two, only to then follow it up with another promotion just last weekend.
A 6-0 thrashing of Forest Green Rovers booked Wrexham’s place in League One before Crewe Alexandra were beaten 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Phil Parkinson still has one game to go with champions Stockport County visiting the STōK Cae Ras this weekend.
The focus will then turn to the summer, with Wrexham players heading to Las Vegas for another promotion party.
Parkinson and co will have the transfer window on their minds though with Wrexham needing some reinforcements to go again in League One.
Humphrey Ker on Arthur Okonkwo
Few are truly expecting a third straight promotion but consolidating in League One will still take some work and some reinforcements.
There aren’t many rumours around Wrexham right now but one player wanted at the STōK Cae Ras next season is goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.
Okonkwo has spent this season on loan at Wrexham and has become the undoubted first choice stopper under Parkinson.
The 22-year-old has been outstanding this season and is now coming to the end of his contract with Arsenal.
Okonkwo will soon become a free agent and many Wrexham fans are hoping that he will commit his future to the club rather than go elsewhere.
Wrexham will face a battle for Okonkwo but executive director Humphrey Ker has now confirmed that the club are ‘desperate’ to sign him.
Ker has told Men in Blazers that Wrexham would like Okonkwo to stay permanently this summer and joked that he was man-marking the giant goalkeeper at the EFL awards, just to stop other clubs trying to speak to him about deals.
“I went to the EFL awards, we had two players nominated in the EFL League Two Team of the Season in Arthur Okonkwo and Elliot Lee,” said Ker. “I had to go and man-mark Arthur because we knew there would be lots of people from other football clubs there and as we’re desperate to retain him this summer, we’ve got to make sure he doesn’t have too much polite chit-chat with people, without me appearing over his shoulder like ‘what are you guys talking about? I’m here too!’” he added.
Okonkwo should be tempted by Wrexham
We already know that plenty of other clubs will be in for Okonkwo this summer.
The Daily Mail claim that Premier League and Championship clubs are keen on Okonkwo, as are clubs around Europe.
Wrexham winning this race will be a big ask but Okonkwo should at least be tempted by the move.
Okonkwo has excelled at Wrexham and the rapid rise of the club shows just what an exciting project this has become.
Playing regular first-team action should be the priority for Okonkwo at this stage in his development and Wrexham have shown that he can play regularly under Parkinson.
Okonkwo’s future will be talked about until he makes a decision, but we feel that there is a real chance for Wrexham to secure a permanent deal – especially if Ker just hovers around to stop other clubs talking to him.