Ryan Reynolds & Rob Mac warned of 'very big problem' at Wrexham if they don't achieve Premier League promotion

Wrexham’s pursuit of the Premier League dream has taken on even greater significance as the club competes in the Championship. According to sports finance expert Dr Rob Wilson, the financial difference between success and failure in the promotion race could be enormous for the North Wales side. The real financial prize lies in promotion itself. Reaching the Premier League would unlock revenues worth around £120 million, meaning failure to secure promotion could deprive the club of a transformative financial opportunity.

Speaking via OLBG, Wilson explained that simply missing out on the play-offs would already represent a notable financial setback. The additional matchday income and commercial opportunities tied to those games make them highly valuable for Championship clubs. Wilson highlighted the immediate financial consequences of falling short in the promotion race.

"If a club misses out on the play-offs, that’s a £15 million hit on revenue because of the associated ticket in and commercial revenue that's on offer by making it through those additional games," Professor Wilson explained.

"If they miss out on the play-offs and don’t get promoted to the Premier League, then we are talking about missing out on an opportunity worth £120 million and that is pretty significant. That’s particularly true for Wrexham given the amount of money they are spending and the spending that they have undertaken over the last couple of years. They’ve also got plans for a new training ground and an expansion to their stadium so it gets really, really tricky."

He added: "For Wrexham this season, what we’re really talking about is a cost opportunity if they miss the play-offs, to get into the Premier League,” concluded Professor Wilson. That failure would add up to £120 million pounds of lost revenue plus all those associated player contracts that they've got in the Championship where they've been hoping to secure that additional promotion. Failure to secure promotion to the Premier League in 2027, based on their current spending habits, would present Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds with a very big problem."

Wrexham’s rise through the English football pyramid has been fuelled by heavy investment from owners Reynolds and Rob Mac. Alongside player recruitment, the club has committed to major infrastructure projects, including plans for a new training ground and the expansion of the Racecourse Ground. According to Wilson, Championship revenues could now approach £50m, but continued spending means the club remains reliant on external backing until it reaches the Premier League.

"If we look at their turnover, the last time we saw their accounts it was at around £33 million in League One," he said. "Wages were over £20 million. That led to a loss of around £15m, up from £2.7m the year before. So Wrexham are already spending much more than it earns as a club, and spending like that requires them to be much higher up the pyramid."

"Average revenues in the Championship for Wrexham, given all of their extra activity that they do, are probably going to be closer to £50 million but they have obviously brought in additional players as well."

Wrexham are currently in the hunt for promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs and face Middlesbrough on Saturday. Phil Parkinson's team currently sits in sixth place and are battling with Hull City and Derby County in a bit to achieve the final play-off spot.