Friday again proved to be the magic day for Wrexham in terms of additions to Phil Parkinson’s squad at the STōK Cae Ras.
Wrexham are making a habit of announcing new signings on Fridays.
Ollie Rathbone, Dan Scarr and Modou Faal all signed on Fridays over the summer and Phil Parkinson is at it again.
Ryan Longman joined Wrexham last Friday, completing a £500,000 move from Hull City.
Wrexham repeated the trick this Friday, securing not one but two new signings in an exciting double swoop.
Reading’s Sam Smith completed a club-record move to Wrexham before Jay Rodriguez followed from Burnley.
J.J. Watt on Jay Rodriguez joining Wrexham
Wrexham making signings on Fridays is just a quirk rather than a calculated plan, but Parkinson wasn’t complaining.
Smith and Rodriguez were thrown straight into the Wrexham starting XI at Crawley Town on Saturday afternoon.
Neither managed to find the net but helped Wrexham towards a 2-1 victory and a morale-boosting win.
Smith is certainly an exciting signing given his proven League One record but some may question the Rodriguez deal.
The one-cap England international is now 35 and Wrexham already have a number of over-30 strikers.
Rodriguez has started just eight Championship for Burnley this season but leaves with a glowing verdict from J.J. Watt.
The former NFL superstar has followed Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds in terms of investing in a football club having taken a stake in Burnley.
Watt has been incredibly invested, just like McElhenney and Wrexham have in Wrexham, and has shared his view on Rodriguez’s exit.
Watt took to social media to state that Rodriguez is a ‘damn good man and player’, wishing him all the best at Wrexham.
Watt urged Wrexham to take ‘good care’ of Rodriguez and vowed to visit the STōK Cae Ras alongside McElhenney and Reynolds soon.
Jay Rodriguez arrival may force a departure
The double signing of Smith and Rodriguez now makes Wrexham’s attacking options look a little bloated.
Smith and Rodriguez join Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer, Steven Fletcher, Jack Marriott and Modou Faal at Wrexham.
That is a lot of attacking firepower and one player may need to move on after the double addition.
Ollie Palmer is attracting interest and his omission from the squad at Crawley certainly raises question marks.
Palmer only signed a new Wrexham contract earlier this season but the target man may find himself as the odd man out with Smith and Rodriguez now on board.