Patrick Bamford, Ryan Hardie or Joe Gelhardt? Stats show Phil Parkinson exactly who to buy in January

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Wrexham moved level on points with Wycombe Wanderers following a late Steven Fletcher goal to defeat Peterborough United.

The victory meant Wrexham continued their brilliant home form and are now intent on chasing down league leaders Birmingham City.

With the EFL Trophy game against Port Vale postponed, attentions now turn to the January transfer window before an away trip to Shrewsbury.

With Paul Mullin struggling for form, Wrexham want a new striker and there have been a number of Championship strikers linked with the club.

READ MORE: Wycombe hand Wrexham major automatic promotion boost, but it comes at a cost as League One race hots up

Patrick Bamford, Joe Gelhardt and Ryan Hardie all linked with Wrexham

Wrexham know they are going to have their work cut out to try and keep pace at the top of League One and more firepower in forward areas has been identified as a way of doing this.

Leeds United’s Patrick Bamford has been linked with Wrexham but the striker’s wage demands mean the deal could be beyond the club’s reach.

Another Leeds forward on the radar could be Wrexham’s pursuit of Joe Gelhardt with the striker struggling for game time and relishing a new challenge.

A third championship striker has also been linked with Ryan Hardie keen on a move to Wrexham in a £2 million deal. The question that most Wrexham fans are asking is which striker would best fit the club?

Hardie outperforming Bamford and Gelhardt

Recruiting players from higher division has been a successful strategy for owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney but this transfer decision could make or break Wrexham’s promotion hopes.

From the above statistics, without setting the world alight, it seems Ryan Hardie may be the best option for manager Phil Parkinson to bolster his frontline having scored this season and made 19 appearances.

Availability could be a huge factor in a hectic schedule towards the end of the season and with Bamford and Gelhardt lacking in match fitness and failing to even register a shot on target, the Plymouth man seems the way to go.

Interestingly, it seems that should Hardie join he would have to hit the ground running in order to replace Mullin in the side, with the current Wrexham striker outperforming the Plymouth man in a number of key attacking metrics this season.

It is a tough decision for Parkinson and one that he needs to consider carefully as his side tries to make their march towards the Championship.