Wrexham were quiet on transfer deadline day but Phil Parkinson will be pleased given the business he completed on Friday.
That’s it, another transfer window done and Wrexham can reflect on some fine business.
Wrexham’s League One rivals were busy on deadline day but Phil Parkinson had already done his incoming deals.
Ryan Longman joined Wrexham from Hull City on January 24 before Wrexham struck a double deal last Friday.
Wrexham signed Sam Smith from Reading in a club-record deal before adding veteran striker Jay Rodriguez too.
Smith and Rodriguez impressed Wrexham fans as they started together against Crawley Town and they will be looking to make a big impact moving forward.
Reading explain Sam Smith exit
Smith especially represents a massive deal for Wrexham.
The 26-year-old arrived as a proven League One striker thanks to his record with Cambridge United and Reading.
Smith scored 11 goals in 25 games for the Royals this season and will be looking to bring that goalscoring quality to Wrexham.
The deal really hurts for Reading though.
The Royals have been through hell on and off the pitch in recent years and Smith’s exit is just another blow.
Smith said an emotional goodbye to Reading and the club have now explained the decision to sell him.
As published in a statement on the club’s official website, Reading suggest that they had previously rejected a number of bids for Smith.
Wrexham’s final bid was just ‘too significant’ to turn down though, meaning Reading reluctantly sold Smith to boost the club’s finances.
“In the case of Sam Smith, having previously rejected lower bids, the fee payable by Wrexham ultimately proved too significant,” they wrote.
“Whilst the club was not looking to sell, there was a requirement to balance this versus the short-term financial security such a large fee would provide,” they added.
Reading boss on Sam Smith to Wrexham
Smith won’t have to wait too long for a return to Reading.
Wrexham will head down to face Reading away from home on March 11, handing Smith a chance to face his former club.
As Reading explain the thinking behind selling Smith, Royals boss Noel Hunt has offered his own reaction.
Speaking to the Reading Chronicle, Hunt admitted that he was simply told the ‘handsome’ offer from Wrexham was ‘too good to turn down’.
Hunt added that Smith’s exit is a ‘big blow’, believing that Wrexham have now signed a ‘very good’ player at League One level.
“It happened so quick with Sam,” said Hunt. “I was pulled in on Thursday evening after training and was told, from the club’s point of view, the offer was too good to turn down and they had permission to speak to him. It was a tough one to take, we didn’t want to lose anyone in this window and I’m hoping it is enough to see us through and keep everyone else.
“It was Sue [Hewett]. She had an email from Dayong [Pang] and she was sad to tell me the news but that is life. It was, what they thought, a handsome offer from Wrexham and almost too good to turn down, they said. I have my views, of course, and this is football unfortunately.
“No one wants to lose their players, especially top scorer in the calendar year that had started this year well. He’s a big blow for us; he’s a very good player for this level. I can’t waste time thinking about what we could have had, I have to focus on these boys because they deserve that,” he added.
Smith will be looking to live up to that billing at Wrexham and having proven himself in League One, he will want to earn the step up to the Championship.