Latest news with #PhilParkinson
Leader Live
a day ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Director Harvey focuses on Wrexham AFC transfer 'model'
The Reds have enjoyed a meteoric rise over recent seasons, with back-to-back-to-back promotions taking Phil Parkinson's side from the National League all the way up to the Championship. Now just one step below the top flight, Wrexham fans can really dream about seeing their team play in the Premier League. Speaking on his FozCast programme, ex-Reds' keeper Ben Foster touched on this rise through the divisions and Wrexham soon having to think about the 'eye-watering' nature and potential 'jeopardy' of Premier League transfers. Club director Harvey said: 'I think we're there now, in truth. 'I don't think we have to wait for the Premier League. Our model's always been we wanted to sign players that were at least used to playing one division higher than that we were playing in. 'Now, if we're going to do that now, we're signing players who are Premier League quality. They want Premier League wages now. 'We've actually probably sub-divided the Championship into top end and bottom end, and even if you're looking at signing players from the top end of the Championship to come and help you on your journey, they're earning fortunes more. 'Our wage bill now, a month, will be more than we paid for the whole time we were in the National League, probably. 'Now, obviously, income's gone up as well, so it's not just a one-way street. 'But, the actual real mechanic is fascinating.' It's been a busy summer already for Wrexham, ahead of sampling action in the second tier for the first time in more than four decades. Midfielder Lewis O'Brien is the latest acquisition, making the move from top flight Nottingham Forest, while Wrexham have also signed Ryan Hardie, Danny Ward, Liberato Cacace, George Thomason and Josh Windass. Wrexham kick-off their Championship campaign at Southampton, relegated from the Premier League, on Saturday, August 9.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wrexham eye Sheffield United's Wales striker Moore
Wales forward Kieffer Moore is among a number of players Wrexham are interested in, manager Phil Parkinson has confirmed. Moore, 32, joined Sheffield United on a three-year deal in July 2024 and scored five goals in 28 Championship appearances for the Blades last season. Wrexham, promoted back to the second tier of English football for the first time in 44 years, have been linked with the 49-times capped international. "Kieffer's under contract at Sheffield United. He's one of a number of players we've looked at over the summer," Parkinson said. "Like I said, the landscape changes in the transfer market very quickly from one week to the next. "We're looking at lots of options here and abroad." Wrexham have signed goalkeeper Danny Ward, forward Ryan Hardie, defender Liberato Cacace, midfielders George Thomason and Lewis O'Brien and forward Josh Windass during the close season. Parkinson said the club have had dialogue over the idea of signing Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen, but it "had not gone further". The Wrexham boss is still hoping to add to his squad before their Championship opener at Southampton on Saturday, 9 August. "Obviously in an ideal world you want all your signers in prior to pre-season to work with," Parkinson told BBC Sport Wales. "But it just doesn't work like that. People sometimes say, why doesn't it? "It's just a variety of reasons - clubs don't want to sell players, competition for players, negotiations over transfer fee or wages. "Of course, ideally, we'd like to make a couple more additions. Is that going to happen before the start of the season? It's difficult to say. "But the most important thing is by the end of August we've got a squad in here which we feel can compete."
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Wrexham eye Sheffield United's Wales striker Moore
Wales forward Kieffer Moore is among a number of players Wrexham are interested in, manager Phil Parkinson has 32, joined Sheffield United on a three-year deal in July 2024 and scored five goals in 28 Championship appearances for the Blades last promoted back to the second tier of English football for the first time in 44 years, have been linked with the 49-times capped international."Kieffer's under contract at Sheffield United. He's one of a number of players we've looked at over the summer," Parkinson said."Like I said, the landscape changes in the transfer market very quickly from one week to the next."We're looking at lots of options here and abroad." Wrexham have signed goalkeeper Danny Ward, forward Ryan Hardie, defender Liberato Cacace, midfielders George Thomason and Lewis O'Brien and forward Josh Windass during the close said the club have had dialogue over the idea of signing Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen, but it "had not gone further".The Wrexham boss is still hoping to add to his squad before their Championship opener at Southampton on Saturday, 9 August."Obviously in an ideal world you want all your signers in prior to pre-season to work with," Parkinson told BBC Sport Wales."But it just doesn't work like that. People sometimes say, why doesn't it?"It's just a variety of reasons - clubs don't want to sell players, competition for players, negotiations over transfer fee or wages."Of course, ideally, we'd like to make a couple more additions. Is that going to happen before the start of the season? It's difficult to say."But the most important thing is by the end of August we've got a squad in here which we feel can compete.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Wrexham discussed Eriksen - but 'not gone further'
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson says the Championship club have had "dialogue" over the idea of signing Christian 33, is a free agent after leaving Manchester United and his agent Martin Schoots told the Daily Mail that Wrexham was a "hugely impressive project." But Parkinson said there was "nothing really more than that" when asked about the prospects of the ex-Ajax and Tottenham player moving to the Stok Cae Ras."There was a call, a bit of dialogue over the summer, but it's not gone any further than that," Parkinson told BBC Sport Wales."But obviously he's a majorly talented player and very well respected throughout football."Wrexham are preparing for what will be their first season in the second tier since 1981-82 after three successive automatic promotions. Parkinson has already signed goalkeeper Danny Ward, forward Ryan Hardie, defender Liberato Cacace, midfielders George Thomason and Lewis O'Brien and forward Josh Windass but is looking to add more new faces."We've been linked with so many players and if we'd been speaking to every player we've been linked with, I don't think we'd have had an hour to sleep over the last month," Parkinson added."Some are true, some aren't."But we're just going about our business and trying to get a squad which can represent the club in this division this season." There have been outgoings at Wrexham this summer, with striker Paul Mullin joining Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan, plus Ryan Bolton moving to Mansfield Town and Will Boyle joining Shrewsbury Town on permanent says more players will head out of the club before the new season, which starts away to Southampton on Saturday, 8 Jacob Mendy is set for a loan move."Everybody knows the numbers situation is there. It's a 25-man squad, including the goalkeepers," Parkinson said."I've just spoken to Jacob Mendy about that. We need Jacob to go and play this season for himself."He's a great example of that, a bit like Jordan Davies was last year who got to the stage where he needs to play. There's a few players in that category."I'm just mentioning Jacob because I've just been speaking to him. There's several clubs who want to take him on loan."Parkinson says he will help Mendy find the "right club which suits him"."I've got a lot of faith in Jacob, but he's just missed quite a bit of football last season for one reason or another," he added. "He needs to get back going again."Ine thing we've always tried to do is be fair to all the players because a lot of those lads have done so well for us."
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Wrexham's busy transfer window: Record deals, Eriksen approach, clearout needed too
It has been difficult to keep up with Wrexham's recruitment since their return from tour Down Under a week ago. Transfer record broken… twice? Tick. First foray into the European market? Tick. Ambitious approach for big-name Premier League star? Tick. Beating a host of Championship clubs to an in-demand free agent? Tick. International striker on the radar? Tick. Advertisement These are heady days, indeed, for a club who, until Ollie Palmer's arrival for £300,000 in January 2023, had not broken their club transfer record fee for almost 45 years, when signing the incomparable Joey Jones from Liverpool. Jones' return to The Racecourse Ground in 1978 came just a couple of months into Wrexham's first ever season in the old Second Division, the level to which they will return next month. The presence of such an inspirational figure, who passed away last week at the age of 70, helped the Welsh club navigate these previously uncharted waters to secure a 15th place finish, still the highest in their history. Phil Parkinson's task almost five decades on is to do similar, albeit in an era where the gulf between the third and second tier has rarely seemed as wide. Hence the sudden flurry of activity after the return from Australia and New Zealand last Monday that has yielded four new faces and the breaking of the club transfer record twice to sign, first, left-back Liberato Cacace from Empoli for an initial €2.5million (£2.16m) and then midfielder Lewis O'Brien from Nottingham Forest. In between those two landmark additions, George Thomason, who captained Bolton Wanderers least season, became only the third seven-figure signing in Wrexham's history and Josh Windass joined on a free after his contract at Sheffield Wednesday had been cancelled by mutual consent amid the financial problems engulfing the Yorkshire club. Wrexham want more. A striker — Sheffield United's Kieffer Moore has been discussed — and a central defender are on a shopping list that, earlier in the summer, briefly contained Christian Eriksen, the Denmark international recently released by Manchester United. A desire to continue playing at the top level meant the approach was rebuffed, though Eriksen's representative, Martin Schoots, did subsequently admit to Mail Sport that Wrexham were a 'hugely impressive project'. Whether those overtures towards Moore lead to the Wales international joining before the season's opener at Southampton on August 9 remains to be seen. Ruben Selles, the Sheffield United manager, was non-committal when asked about the 32-year-old's future after leaving him on the bench for Saturday's 4-1 friendly win over Chesterfield. Advertisement What isn't in doubt, however, is how the patient approach has paid off for Wrexham in this window. All six summer signings — striker Ryan Hardie was signed from Plymouth Argyle and Wales international goalkeeper Danny Ward joined after his Leicester City deal expired before the trip Down Under — were the result of talks that began weeks, if not months, earlier. For instance, Windass and O'Brien, the two most recent additions, were deals that were well down the road before Parkinson and his squad flew out to Melbourne on Sunday July 6. A huge amount of work, including the manager's famous test of character in prospective signings, had been conducted before jetting off. Contact was then maintained throughout those two weeks on the other side of the world, with Parkinson, director Shaun Harvey and chief executive Michael Williamson all on early morning calls to the UK and Europe to keep moves on track. The persistence paid off last week as Wrexham's squad was given a much-needed Championship flavour to go with the current excessive numbers that are a direct consequence of the club's rapid rise with the three-year contracts offered on the back of clinching promotion back to the EFL in 2023 still having a year to run. EFL rules for the 2025-26 season state Championship clubs can register up to 25 players, including goalkeepers (under-21s are exempt). As it stands, even after the departures of Paul Mullin, Will Boyle, Luke Bolton and Luke McNicholas, Wrexham have 30. With two more key additions wanted — and the possibility Parkinson will want to further refresh in other positions — a sizeable clear out is inevitable. As for who goes only time will tell. Wrexham have eight senior strikers on the books (including Jake Bickerstaff, who has recently been on trial at Cheltenham Town) along with another eight central midfielders and four left wing-backs. Advertisement Regardless of whether Parkinson goes with the 3-5-1-1 formation that served Wrexham so well during last season's run-in or the box-midfield setup seen Down Under, whereby two attacking midfielders push on to support the lone striker as two others anchor the midfield, these numbers are unsustainable. Getting players out the door won't be easy. Wrexham pay well and promotion to the Championship is likely to have meant a further wage rise across the squad. As a result, some on the fringes may have to be paid to leave. Others may strike deals on transfer fees to allow the purchasing club to offer wages more on a par with what Wrexham pay as a Championship club. In many ways, this transfer window has the feel of the first at Wrexham under Parkinson after his appointment on July 1 2021. An overhaul was required then, as shown by 10 new faces, including Mullin and Ben Tozer, eventually arriving in the two months leading up to deadline day. Gelling so many signings into a cohesive unit is never easy. So it proved with Wrexham a lowly 13th going into November during that first full season under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and still seventh in mid-February, by which time Palmer, Tom O'Connor and Callum McFadzean had been added. Only once those January window additions had been made did Wrexham truly hit their stride. A second place finish was followed by heartache in the play-offs against Grimsby Town with promotion from the National League following a year later after further investment. It's likely to be a similar story this time around, with three full transfer windows required to truly get Wrexham in a position where a concerted push for the Premier League can be made this time next year. Until then, bridging that considerable gap between League One and the Championship has to be the order of the day. The recruitment of the past week, plus the promise of more to come, has put Wrexham in a position to do just that.
