10 defenders Wrexham could sign this summer, including former Man Utd star and Liverpool youngster

Morgan Fox only missed six Championship games for Stoke City last season as the Potters secured a lower-mid-table finish. The club has since decided to shake up the squad significantly in the summer, with a host of high-profile players set for release.

Fox is among those who will be let go and he won't struggle for offers this summer. It will take some doing, but he would be the ideal marquee signing for Wrexham.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are understood to value having a Welsh nucleus in the Red Dragons' squad. Fox would fit the bill, having been called up by his country on two occasions - although he's yet to be handed his first cap.

Wrexham will have to make Fox their highest earner to have any chance of completing a deal, but the reliable left-back could be a real difference maker in League Two.

Ashley Young has carved out an incredible career for himself since breaking through at Watford as a youngster, going on to lift the Premier League, Serie A and FA Cup trophies. More recently, he enjoyed a second spell at Aston Villa, chipping in with some vital contributions as the Villans secured European football for the coming season.

Young's time in the West Midlands has now come to an end and he will be looking for a fresh challenge this summer. A move to Wrexham may seem fanciful, but Reynolds and Co possess a trump card in negotiations: Ben Foster.

Foster played with Young at Watford and the pair have a good relationship off the field. Who knows, perhaps the veterans might fancy getting together for one last job?

Former Manchester United prospect Tyler Blackett is perhaps best remembered for his ill-fated spell as one of Louis van Gaal's starting centre-backs. The Dutchman's support for the youngster was unwavering - until he was sent off in a humiliating 5-3 defeat to recently-promoted Leicester.

Blackett was scarcely seen in a United shirt again, going on to have spells with Reading, Nottingham Forest and FC Cincinnati in MLS. Most recently, he signed with Rotherham on a short-term deal that expires on June 30.

The Millers have offered Blackett an extension, but the defender will be aware that he could be able to get better terms elsewhere. What has set Wrexham apart from other lower-league clubs is there propensity to offer longer-term deals than their rivals. Blackett might crave this stability after a turbulent year.

It's not been much fun being a Wigan Athletic player this season. Financial issues away from the pitch has led to players being paid late on more than one occasion, while the Latics also suffered Championship relegation.

Thankfully, a late takeover bid seems to have secured the club's short-term future, but that future will not have Joe Bennett in the picture, with the former Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Cardiff City defender set for release this summer.

Bennett has some experience as a wing-back and could even feasibly fill in as one of Parkinson's three centre-backs if required. It would be a shrewd signing by Wrexham, though Bennett may have his heart set on a move to a higher division.

Junior Tchamadeu could be going right to the top of the English game. A stunning 2022-23 campaign for Colchester United saw him deservedly named in the League Two Team of the Year and higher-division sides are circling.

The 19-year-old could be convinced to remain in League Two, though, as long as the club he was joining could offer him first-team football and a route up through the leagues. Wrexham can give Tchamadeu both of these things.

He would be a seriously impressive signing, an immediate upgrade on their current options at right wing-back, but the former Charlton youth prospect will not come cheap.

Ryan Bennett's arrival at Leicester City on transfer deadline day in January 2020 went down like a lead balloon. If he joined Wrexham this summer, the reaction would be quite different.

That brief stay at the King Power Stadium did not translate into a permanent transfer, with Bennett spending time with Swansea City and Cambridge United after being released by Wolves at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

Now, Bennett is on the market again and he would be a solid addition to the Wrexham backline. He has tasted no less than three promotions during his career and could make it four if he rocks up at the SToK Racecourse this summer.

Matthew Pennington's future is in doubt, with the former Everton man yet to sign a contract extension at Shrewsbury Town. If Salop cannot get a deal over the line, the versatile defender will enter free agency, which will pique Wrexham's interest.

Pennington has been a reliable performer for Shrewsbury over the past two seasons and has plenty of experience operating in a back three. The promise of a long-term deal may be enough to convince Pennington to drop down a level into League Two.

The chance to win a title will be attractive too, something the former England Under-19 international is yet to experience in his career.

If it's experience Wrexham are looking for this summer, they could do a lot worse than Matt Lowton. A seasoned campaigner for Burnley during their lengthy spell in the Premier League, Lowton wasn't fancied by Vincent Kompany last season and was shipped out on loan to Huddersfield.

The Terriers could yet come in for him on a free transfer, but his underwhelming displays in West Yorkshire suggests they have other targets. It therefore looks like Lowton will need to search elsewhere for his next challenge.

If no Championship or League One club want to take a chance on the ageing defender, Wrexham could enter the running. Lowton helped the Clarets to the Championship title in 2016 and would be a leader in the dressing room for Parkinson.

After a series of underwhelming loan spells away from boyhood club West Bromwich Albion, Jack Fitzwater made the brave decision to try his luck north of the border, signing for Scottish Premiership side Livingston in July 2020.

He's furnished his reputation well in Scotland, consistently helping to keep his side well clear of the relegation zone, while occasionally flirting with the prospect of European qualification.

This summer, Fitzwater has decided to move on, revealing in March: "I’m at a stage in my career where I just want to see what I can do next. I’m still young and I want to achieve a lot in the game so I’ll just wait and see what happens in the summer."

This is likely code for: 'I'd like to earn more money back in England,' and Wrexham might make his dreams come true this summer. The centre-back could come in handy during a League Two promotion push and is young enough to still improve.

You may remember Adam Lewis from Liverpool's infamous FA Cup fourth-round replay against Shrewsbury, where Jurgen Klopp and 22 senior players were absent on their winter breaks. Lewis helped the Reds to a 1-0 win that evening, but his career has been tricky since that point.

After a few less-than-stellar loan spells, Lewis took in another temporary stay at Newport County last season - where he suffered a season-ending injury in February.

There is some confusion surrounding his current contract status. Reports have suggested that his current deal runs out this summer, but he was not included on the club's retained list for the 2023-24 season. Regardless of whether he will be available on a free or on loan, Wrexham should take a look at the flying wing-back.