Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds close in on January signing! Wrexham in advanced talks to sign Salford City midfielder Luke Bolton

It had been reported earlier in the week that the Red Dragons had made a bid for the Manchester City academy graduate but it was quickly shot down by Salford. However, as per Peter O'Rourke of Footy Insider, the two sides have held advanced talks since then and Wrexham's offer has been improved and the signing is close. The midfielder would be the first signing for Phil Parkinson in January as the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned club have remained patient in negotiations.

Speaking to The Athletic last week, Parkinson talked about why the club had not made any January reinforcements as many of their rivals had, he said: "There are a lot of enquiries going on but, equally, we have some good players ready to make a big contribution. If there is a player out there who we feel can improve us, we will make a move. We are always looking. It can be a bit of a game of poker, as this is a competitive business when you’re trying to sign players.

"I keep getting told there’s no money in football. But, when we try to sign players, we keep getting told they don’t need the money so don’t need to sell. It can be hard to wrestle players away."

Bolton made his professional debut in 2019 at the age of 19 while on loan at Wycombe Wanderers. Despite being on the books of Premier League champion City until 2022, he never appeared in a first-team game for them. After leaving the Premier League winners in January 2022, Bolton signed with Salford. During the next two years, he made 92 appearances for the team led by Karl Robinson, contributing 15 assists and six goals.

The Red Dragons are also reportedly looking for a striker to aid their current strike force. However, with very little time remaining before the transfer deadline. The club will be in action next against Salford and if the signing of Bolton goes through, the midfielder could very well be in action against his former side, just days after leaving them.