Wrexham are building genuine pre-season momentum, and their 3-2 victory over Leeds United on July 25 made it back-to-back wins against Premier League opposition. Phil Parkinson's side had already beaten Manchester United 1-0 in Helsinki on July 18, a result that announced the Red Dragons as a Championship side with serious intent. Defeating two top-flight clubs in the space of a week has given the squad a real confidence boost ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The results carry extra weight given the structural ambition surrounding the club. Wrexham are closing in on the appointment of Newcastle United's Steve Nickson as sporting director, a newly-created role that signals how seriously co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are treating the push toward the Premier League. Building a proper recruitment infrastructure is the kind of move that separates clubs with long-term ambitions from those simply enjoying the ride.

Next up is a pre-season friendly against Liverpool at Yankee Stadium on July 29, a fixture Reynolds himself described as a "punch me moment." For a club that was in the National League just a few years ago, playing one of Europe's biggest sides at one of sport's most iconic venues captures exactly where Wrexham now stand. Two wins over Premier League clubs, a major off-field appointment in the works, and a sold-out New York showpiece ahead. The Red Dragons head into the new Championship season with momentum, structure, and a growing sense that promotion is the only acceptable destination.