Wrexham in Europe?! Red Dragons' bid for Conference League qualification the latest twist in Hollywood fairy-tale under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney

Wrexham, and Wales' three other English Football League clubs - Swansea City, Cardiff City and Newport County - could all be given a potential new route into European competition as a result of an initiative called Prosiect Cymru (Project Wales). Swansea commissioned the project on behalf of all four clubs and the Football Association of Wales (FAW) after an independent report conducted by consultancy firm Deloitte.

Wrexham, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport are requesting to play in the Welsh League Cup instead of the English equivalent. At the moment, there is no European place on offer for the winners of the Welsh League Cup - also known commercially as the Nathaniel MG Cup - but a revamp of the competition has been proposed that will change that.

Conference League qualification will be the reward for Welsh League Cup success if Project Wales is approved, with The Athletic reporting that the new format could be in place from the start of the 2025-26 season.

“To bring European football back to Wrexham would be amazing,” Red Dragons boss Phil Parkinson has said of the potential shake-up. “Great to test yourself against teams from different countries around Europe. Be fantastic to have that opportunity.”

Wrexham, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport are all set to remain in the English football pyramid, meaning they can still compete in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy if they also enter the Welsh League Cup. It's yet to be confirmed exactly how the revamped competition will look, but the four EFL clubs would be competing alongside all the teams from Wales' top two divisions and Merthyr Town - who currently play in English football's seventh tier.

It has been reported that talks over the changes initially began 18 months ago, and Swansea City chairman Andy Coleman "is really excited to see what the next steps are". Coleman added to BBC Sport: "I think this is a perfect example of what can happen when people come together. All of Wales is united and behind this."

When pressed on whether he believes the project will be approved, Coleman replied: "I am confident we are going to do every single thing we can, myself included, to make sure we do what's best for Wales. We are in the process, and once we get through the process, we'll let everybody know."

Wrexham are said to be in favour of the plans alongside Swansea, which is no surprise, certainly from a commercial standpoint. Filming for series four of 'Welcome to Wrexham' is already under way, but a potential European journey would likely boost the chances of Disney and FX renewing the show for a fifth season.

Indeed, Wrexham director Shaun Harvey is fully behind the prospect of potentially fast-tracking the club's return to Europe after a 30-year absence. "It’s not creating something new because the club has been there before, but it will give the new generation of fans the opportunity to share the same experiences that their predecessors had," Harvey told The Wrexham Leader. "Every so often opportunities like this present themselves and we have got an obligation to both ourselves and football in Wales to look at them."

Harvey also admitted that the main motivations behind all those involved in the project is "unashamedly financial". Only 711 fans watched the 2023-24 Welsh League Cup final between Cymru Premier League champions The New Saints (TNS) and Swansea's U21s side, and an attractive increase in the stakes and overall quality of the competition is being sold as a driver in the growth of football in Wales.

“People ask why would the Cymru Premier clubs and the FAW support it,” Harvey continued. "The answer is that they are satisfied that it would be in the best interests of football as a whole in Wales. Value is measured in many different ways, but in this case, the measure is unashamedly financial. The more money that is available to develop and promote the game throughout Wales, the better it has to be for everybody.

"The FAW would hopefully receive significantly more funding as a result of improved performances to support the development of the women’s game and football below the Cymru Premier. There would be financial benefits for whichever club managed to win the Welsh League Cup, but only one of the four [EFL clubs] could win it and it doesn’t mean the Cymru Premier clubs can’t win it either.”

Wrexham actually boast a very proud record in Europe, which began in 1972 when they qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup by winning the Welsh Cup. The Red Dragons beat FC Zurich 3-2 on aggregate in the first round, only to exit the competition against Hajduk Split in the next stage.

Four years later, Wrexham enjoyed a memorable run to the quarter-finals, where they were narrowly beaten by Belgian giants Anderlecht. And in the 1984-85 season, while playing in English football's fourth tier, Wrexham produced one of the all-time great upsets by knocking Porto out of the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Porto were considered heavy favourites as one of the best teams in Europe at the time, having made the final against Aberdeen the previous year. However, Sir Alex Ferguson famously provided then-Wrexham boss Bobby Roberts with videos he'd made to study the Portuguese giants before Aberdeen's victory, and the Red Dragons proceeded to edge a thrilling tie on away goals, despite losing the second leg 4-3 away from home.

“The club, like the other three clubs, is steeped in European history, albeit going back over a period of time," Harvey said. “If those days can return to Wrexham at some stage in the future then it’s another step on a remarkable journey."

There is one major downside to this venture for Reynolds and McElhenney, though. If Wrexham are granted entry to the Welsh League Cup, they would effectively be limiting how far they can progress as a club.

It's unlikely to be a possibility any time soon, but if Wrexham were to finish in the Premier League's top four, they would be barred from qualifying for the Champions League. A Europa League place would also be off-limits if the Red Dragons finished in the top seven, or if they were to miraculously win the FA Cup.

Wrexham are accepting the Conference League as the pinnacle of their continental ambition by backing Project Wales. They are also risking becoming a target of abuse from fans of the clubs in the Cymru Premier.

Wales will see their allocation of European places cut from four to three in 2025-26, and top-flight clubs are understandably annoyed that one of those spots could go to a team playing their domestic football outside of the country. The Cymru Premier's all-time top scorer Marc Lloyd Williams spoke out on the matter in October, telling BBC Radio Wales: “For me, the four clubs made the decision to play in England, so stay in England. Don’t try and take those European spots off the Cymru Premier teams. It is their bread and butter, week in, week out."

Adding extra games to an already congested fixture list could be problematic for Wrexham, too. If they were to make it into the Conference League in 2026-27, the Red Dragons would have to take part in several qualifying rounds across the summer months, and midweek league phase matches could clash with their League One or Championship schedule.

Wrexham, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport's petition to enter the Welsh League Cup was initially due to be reviewed by a sub-committee, but according to The Daily Mail, it will now go before a full FA board. One senior English football executive has described the news as a blow for the clubs wanting to ‘have their Welsh cake and eat it’, with the decision taken 'due to the importance and significance of the topic’.

The Athletic claims that those pushing for the change believe it could get the green light before the end of the year, but also notes that FAW, FA and UEFA have not been willing to make any public comment. Meanwhile, BBC Sport adds that the four Welsh EFL clubs have been seeking assurances from the FA that the project will not jeopardise their long-term security in the English football pyramid.

Can the FA really make that promise? Newport County are still said to be "sensitive" about the issue, having taken the FAW to court in order to preserve their EFL status after going bankrupt in the 1980s.

It's certainly a polarising proposal, and the final verdict won't be taken lightly. The financial benefits have to be weighed up against the potential backlash and damage that could be done to the foundations of the current footballing set-up in Wales.

For Wrexham, the short-term benefits are clear. But whether or not Reynolds and McElhenney share Parkinson and Harvey's enthusiasm when mapping out their long-term vision for the club remains to be seen.