‘Significantly in the red’ - Rob McElhenney shares worrying update on Wrexham investment as Ryan Reynolds admits Hollywood stars were told to 'run away' from business venture at Welsh club

Back in February 2021, two Hollywood stars completed a stunning takeover of what was then a National League club. They have enjoyed quite the ride since, with back-to-back promotions lifting the Red Dragons into the third tier of English football for the first time in 20 years.

Rapid progress has come at some considerable cost, with McElhenney telling the Associated Press while promoting season three of the award-winning ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series: “You want to know, like how far in the red I am? It’s pretty significant. It’s true that in the beginning when we asked our advisors if this was a good economic investment, there was not one person that I can remember that was like, ‘Yes.’ It was more like, ‘Don’t.’”

Deadpool actor Reynolds has seconded that, saying of the advice that he and McElhenney received before investing significant amounts of faith and funds in Wrexham: “Run away, yeah. History has an unbelievable amount of examples of how this was not the best idea, but we’re not in it to make money and goddammit, we won’t. I think we recognise how lucky we are that we can be in this position where it isn’t about making money or any of those things. I mean, you have to be in a pretty privileged spot to be able to do this to begin with. But eventually, you know, as we climb up the leagues, we’re going to need outside help in order to sustain this club. One of our great mission statements and – this is something that is still a huge target – is to create a sustainable model for a sports club like this and allow it to support itself long after we’re dead and gone.”

Reynolds and McElhenney may start to look for fellow investors this summer, as the playing field when it comes to spending and ambition begins to level out in League One. Plenty of movement is expected at SToK Racecourse over the coming weeks, with another transfer window set to swing open in June.